Orioles 6, White Sox 4 (10): Walk off!

I apologize for the lateness of this postgame, but sometimes a girl accidentally falls asleep. Don't forget to keep scrolling down to check out the minor league scores. 

Last night, the Orioles did what it seems like they do best: blow a lead. They pulled ahead to a 4-0 lead thanks to home runs by J.J. Hardy and Adam Jones, the 21st of the year for both of them, as well as an RBI single from Robert Andino and a sacrifice fly from Nick Markakis. They took that lead into the the sixth inning before the White Sox started to chip away, and by the end of the seventh inning the game was all tied up. 

Orioles starter Tommy Hunter didn't have a great pitching line, as he gave up four runs in 6.2 innings, but he actually had a decent night. Through the first five innings, Hunter allowed just two singles and a double and never had more than one runner on per inning. Juan Pierre led off the sixth inning with a double, and would eventually come around to score the White Sox first run of the game on a ground out. 

Going into the seventh inning, Hunter had still allowed just one run and four hits. Not bad at all. Then two singles and a double later (as well as two outs, I might add), the score was cut to 4-2 and Hunter was taken out of the game with two runners aboard. Jason Berken came in to get the final out but just couldn't get the job done. A single by Pierre on the first pitch scored both of Berken's inherited runners and tied the game. Berken gave up another single after that but finally retired Paul Konerko to end the inning. 

By now, both teams were relying on their bullpens, as White Sox starter Philip Humber was replaced by Jesse Crain in the bottom of the seventh. Jones doubled off of Crain to start the inning, but was stranded by his teammates. The Orioles turned to Jim Johnson for the eighth inning, and he hit Carlos Quentin (who hasn't hit Carlos Quentin) and gave up a single to A.J. Pierzynski to put runners on first and second with no outs. I was very frustrated watching this, because I know how good Johnson can be and believe he's been put in a bad position being that he's one of the only reliable bullpen arms on a team with a lousy rotation, and he has to be tired. I said aloud in my living room, "Get it together, Jim!" And he did! Alex Rios lined out to left for the first out, then Johnson struck out Adam Dunn and Gordon Beckham to end the inning. 

Both bullpens traded scoreless innings until the bottom of the tenth when Nolan Reimold stepped to the plate with one out and Chris Davis on first. Reimold hasn't been making the most of his playing time lately. His hitting hasn't been that impressive, but what he did tonight was. Jason Frasor threw Reimold only one pitch, and Nolan simply crushed it to center field. It sailed over the Orioles bullpen and into the White Sox pen for a walk-off home run. Holy cow. 

Nolan raced around the bases and was mobbed by his teammates, as is custom. After the losses of the last two days, this win felt really good. Tonight the Orioles will try to split the series with the Sox, but it'll be a tough time as Chris Tillman will try to out pitch Mark Buehrle.