In the illustrious history of Oriole Park at Camden Yards, a lot of memorable things have happened. From it’s opening in 1992, to hosting the 2014 ALCS, there are a lot of choices. I’m here to present the top 5 moments experienced in beautiful Camden Yards.
5. The 2011 season finale
The final day of the 2011 season is one for the ages. One of the biggest moments came while the Orioles hosted the postseason bound Red Sox. Going into the bottom of the ninth down 3-2, Buck Showalter’s team rallied to walk off a 4-3 victory off a Robert Andino single. This knocked the Red Sox out of the playoffs, and marked the final losing season for the O’s before their playoff appearance in 2012.
the Orioles celebrate their walk off win to culminate the 2011 season (Photo: New York Times)
4. Manny Machado’s 3-Hr game ending in a walk off Grand Slam in 2017
August 18th, 2017 may be known as Manny Machado’s best game at the plate in his career. Manny became the third player all time to end a three home run game with a walk off grand slam. This came when the Orioles trailed the Angels 9-5 in the ninth inning. On the first pitch with bases loaded, Manny sent a bomb over the center field wall to win one of the most exciting games to happen at OPACY
Manny Machado admiring his Walk off grand slam 8/18/17 (Photo: Patrick Semansky)
3. Adam Jones’ walk off home run to open the 2018 season
The Orioles 2018 season is one that will go down in history for many of the wrong reasons. With their 47-115 record, to dealing away all the components of those 2012-2016 playoff teams, 2018 was rough. Arguably the hardest part was knowing we as fans were seeing Adam Jones in Baltimore for the last year. Fittingly, Jones capped off his final opening day at OPACY with a huge extra inning walk off home run against the Minnesota Twins. This gave the Orioles a 3-2 victory, their third consecutive opening day walk off.
The Orioles celebrate an opening day walk off home run by Adam Jones (Photo: The Baltimore Sun)
2. Game 2 of the 2012 ALDS against the New York Yankees.
In 2012, the Orioles hosted their first playoff series at OPACY since 1997. The Birds hosted the division winners and rival the New York Yankees. Following a blown lead in the ninth the night before, the Orioles looked to even the series. In a pitching duel headlined by Orioles starter Wei Yin Chen, the Birds entered the ninth inning up one run. Jim Johnson, who was responsible for the blown save in Game 1, looked to end this game differently. Johnson struck out Alex Rodriguez for the final out. The crowd was so loud, you could not hear the fire works that were set off immediately afterwards.
Wei Yin Chen dealing during his start in game 2 of the 2012 ALDS (Photo: SB Nation)
1. Game 2 of the 2014 ALDS against the Detroit Tigers
This entry as number one comes as no surprise. During this roller coaster ride of a game, multiple memorable things happened for the Orioles. First off, Wei Yin Chen struggled in this game, being relieved by a young Kevin Gausman. Gausman, sporting thick sports goggles, shut down a powerful Detroit offense. Next, Nick Markakis homered in his second career playoff appearance. 2014 was the first time we saw Markakis in the playoffs since he was injured in 2012, and his early game home run proved pivotal for the O’s. Finally, comes the famous Delmon Young base clearing double. The Orioles had the bases loaded in the eighth down 6-4 as they sent Delmon Young to pinch hit. On the first pitch, Young doubled on a hanging slider that scored three. This amazingly exciting play secured the Orioles 7-6 victory, giving them a 2-0 series lead.
Delmon Young swinging on the first pitch he saw which resulted in a game sealing 3-RBI double (Photo: USA Today)
What are your most memorable moments at Oriole Park at Camden Yards? Comment and let us know, and don’t forget to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
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