They dug themselves out from an early four-run hole to tie the game in the fifth. They then erased a two-run deficit by scoring runs in the eighth and ninth inning, the latter one coming against Angels All-Star closer Brian Fuentes.
And just as it seemed that the Orioles had run out of chances, they escaped bases-loaded, one-out jams in the 11th and 12th innings by completing double plays. All of it could have been a prelude to one of the most uplifting victories of the season. Instead, it added to the agony of the Orioles' 17-8 loss in 13 innings before an announced 26,529 on a scorching Sunday at Camden Yards.
"The 13th inning wasn't real lucky for us," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said in one of the understatements of the season.
In the longest game of the season for both teams, the Angels broke an 8-8 tie by scoring nine times in the 13th inning, one more run than they managed in the previous 12 innings. Orioles relievers Brian Bass and Matt Albers faced 12 batters in the inning, and eight of them got hits and another walked. Juan Rivera hit a three-run homer, but even before his swing, the Orioles trailed 14-8.
The last team to score that many runs in an extra inning was the San Diego Padres, who scored nine against the Philadelphia Phillies in the 10th on May 28, 1995.
"You got to look at it like, they are the best hitting team in baseball," said Orioles center fielder Adam Jones, who tied the game with a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning. "Bases loaded twice in back-to-back innings and you get out of that. You got to win that because you can't give them a third opportunity like we did. You saw it. It wasn't a pretty show."
Bass, who got out of the bases-loaded jam in the 12th by inducing Maicer Izturis to hit into an inning-ending double play started by first baseman Aubrey Huff, allowed singles to the first four batters he faced in the 13th before giving way to the struggling Albers. Torii Hunter, activated from the disabled list earlier in the day, broke the tie with a hard bouncer over Bass' head into center field.
It was Hunter who had lined into a double play in the 11th inning that helped Jim Johnson escape a jam and keep the game tied.
"I had a good sinker today. Unfortunately, that second inning, I fell behind, gave up a bunch of singles," said Bass, who allowed six hits and hit a batter in one-plus inning. "For the team to battle for 12 innings and go out there and give it up, it's disappointing."
