TL;DR The Miami Marlins defeated the Baltimore Orioles 4-3 in a dramatic walk-off win, capitalizing on a 9th-inning error by Coby Mayo. Joe Mack scored the winning run after Mayo's throw to first base went awry.
May 7, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins catcher Joe Mack (80) scores the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning as Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo (29) walks away at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
May 7, 2026; Miami , Florida, USA; Miami Marlins catcher Joe Mack (80) scores the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning as Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo (29) walks away at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
A series of missed opportunities and a Coby Mayo 9th-inning error sunk the Orioles Thursday, as the Marlins walked off the Oâs for a 4-3 loss.
After the Oâs tied the game in the 8th but couldnât score in the top of the 9th, Andrew Kittredge entered to try and force extras. The start of the inning couldnât have gone better for Kittredge, who got pinch-hitter Kyle Stowers to pop out to first before striking out Jakob Marsee with a slider in the dirt.
The inning unraveled with two outs, though. Rookie Joe Mack came off the bench trying to extend the inning, and succeeded with a double into the right-field corner. That brought No. 9 hitter Javier Sanoja to the plate. On a 0-1 slider, it looked like Kittredge got out of the jam, as Sanoja rolled over the ball to third. However, the ball kicked off the heel of Mayoâs glove, and although he recovered to snag the ricochet, his rushed throw to first skipped past and allowed Mack to score the winning run.
While Mayoâs error was the game-losing play, the Oriolesâ inability to come up with clutch hits was the biggest reason for the loss. Down 3-2 entering the top of the 8th, Alonso delivered the Oâs only clutch hit of the evening. started the rally on a leadoff walk and moved to second on a soft single to right from . Alonso then broke his bat on a Josh Ekness sweeper, but was able to muscle a single into shallow center, driving home Ward to tie the game at three. Samuel Basallo couldnât keep the hit parade going, grounding into a double play on a 109mph grounder. Tyler OâNeill then left Beavers stranded at third on a towering flyout to left.
After falling behind early, the Oâs had plenty of other chances to tie the game or take a lead but consistently failed to capitalize. Trailing 2-0 in the 3rd, Mayo kicked off a rally by reaching on an infield single hit 101mph to short. then worked a five-pitch walk to move Mayo into scoring position, setting up for an RBI single up the middle to bring home Mayo. With two outs, Beavers worked a walk to load the bases, but Alonso couldnât come through, striking out to strand all runners.
Baltimore failed to capitalize on another promising opportunity in the 4th. Now down 3-1, Basallo led off the inning with a beautiful piece of hitting, taking a backdoor breaking ball and lining it into the left-center gap for a double. OâNeill then followed it up with a single the other way to score Basallo and bring the Oâs back within one. However, the rally died there as lined into an unassisted double play and the inning ended on a Jackson strikeout after a Mayo single.
In the 5th, Beavers once again put the tying run on base with a two-out double down the left field line. Alonso just missed a two-run home run that wouldâve given Baltimore the lead, sending a 104mph, 384-foot fly ball to the warning track to end the threat. The Marlins would rob Basallo of a similarly loud fly ball in the 6th, with Marsee making a leaping catch on a ball 103mph and 396 feet to dead center.
The heartbreaking nature of the loss distracted from the loss of left-hander , who was forced to leave early with what the Orioles called âleft forearm discomfort.â The outing got off to an inauspicious start in the 1st when he issued a four-pitch walk to former Orioles . Two pitches later, Povich hung a slider over the plate to Marlinsâ No. 3 hitter , who launched it over the right field fence to give Miami a 2-0 lead.
After allowing yet another early long ball, Povich rebounded with a much calmer 2nd. He began the inning by winning a 10-pitch battle with , getting the speedy outfielder to fly out harmlessly to right. The Oriolesâ southpaw would then put Jakob Marsee on base via HBP, as a first-pitch fastball just grazed the front of Marseeâs jersey. Povich would immediately erase the base runner, however, getting to ground into an inning-ending 4-3 double play.
Trouble would find the Oriolesâ starter again in the 3rd. Miamiâs No. 9 hitter Javier Sanoja led off the inning with a walk, before Povich left a fastball over the plate to . The shortstopâs deep fly ball to right just missed leaving the yard, but Sanoja clearly thought the ball left the yard, as he jogged around second. When Tyler OâNeillâs throw reached relay man Jeremiah Jackson, both runners were halfway between a baseâbut the Oâs defense failed to convert the base-running error into an out. With runners now at first and third, Baltimore pulled the infield in, only for Norby to rocket a single past Gunnar Henderson to give Miami a 3-1 lead.
Povich hung tough to limit any further damage. He got the first out of the inning by getting Hicks to fly out to shallow center, before getting to pop up to Alonso on his best curveball of the evening. looked like he had a two-out RBI single, only for Povich to snag the comebacker and flip it to Alonso for the final out. There were no signs that itâd be the leftyâs final batter of the game, but heâd exit after three with a final line of 3 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB and 1 K. Should Povich land on the IL, heâd be the Orioles fourth starter to go down injured, joining , and .
The bullpen kept the Oâs in the game, despite being called into action way earlier than expected. entered in the 4th, and set down six straight batters to keep the Baltimore deficit at one. Deitrich Enns then breezed through the 6th on five pitches for the Oriolesâ third-straight scoreless frame. JimĂ©nez broke a streak of 14 straight Marlins retired when he worked a two-out walk in the 7th. One pitch later, Enns got Sanoja to fly out on a running catch by Colton Cowser in center, as the bullpen set the stage for the comeback.
then performed a Houdini act in the 8th. The lefty started the inning by giving up a single to Lopez, before laid down a perfect bunt single to give the Marlins two on with no out. Akin then punched out Hicks looking with a 3-2 fastball at the knees. Morel then flew out to center to move both runners into scoring position, before the Oriolesâ reliever got HernĂĄndez to pop up to short to keep the game tied, 3-3.
The loss denied the Orioles their second sweep of the season and dropped their record to 17-21 as they head back to Baltimore. The Oâs open a new series tomorrow against the Aâs, with getting the ball, looking to start a new win streak.