The Oakland Athletics staged a ninth-inning comeback to defeat the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 on August 10, 2025, at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, clinching the weekend series with a two-run double from Willie MacIver that spoiled a strong start from Cade Povich. The loss dropped the Orioles to 53-66, keeping them in last place in the American League East, while the Athletics improved to 54-67, still fifth in the AL West. A crowd of 23,183 watched under sunny skies with temperatures at 86 degrees as both rebuilding teams showcased young talent in a tightly contested pitchers’ duel that lasted two hours and 54 minutes.

Baltimore took an early lead in the fifth inning when Jordan Westburg launched a solo home run to left field off reliever Joey Bowden, his 14th of the season, putting the Orioles ahead 1-0. Westburg finished the day 1-for-5 with the homer and an RBI, continuing a solid campaign where he has hit .266 with 29 RBIs overall. The blast came with two outs and traveled an estimated 385 feet, according to Statcast data, highlighting Westburg’s power against right-handed pitching.

Credit: Baltimore Orioles

Povich, making his second start since returning from injury, held the Athletics to one run over six innings, allowing four hits, one walk and striking out five on 94 pitches, 60 for strikes. His performance lowered his ERA to 4.95, providing a bright spot for the Orioles’ rotation amid a challenging season.

The Athletics tied the game in the sixth when Colby Thomas singled sharply to left field off Povich, scoring Brent Rooker from second base to make it 1-1. Thomas, who went 1-for-4 with an RBI, has been adjusting to major league pitching since his call-up, batting .162 in limited action. Rooker had doubled earlier in the inning, his 28th of the year, setting up the equalizer as part of a 4-for-12 series performance that underscored his role as Oakland’s primary power threat with an .849 OPS.

Baltimore regained the lead in the seventh on Coby Mayo’s double to deep center off Sean Newcomb, scoring Alex Jackson from first for a 2-1 advantage. Mayo, pinch-hitting for Austin Adams, recorded his eighth double and 18th RBI, offering another glimpse of the Orioles’ promising farm system. Jackson had reached on a single earlier, finishing 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored, while contributing defensively with a caught stealing that ended a potential Athletics rally in the second.

The game remained close until the ninth, when Oakland mounted its decisive rally against closer Keegan Akin. Darell Hernaiz walked to lead off, and Lawrence Butler, running for Gio Urshela after a single, advanced on a wild pitch. MacIver then delivered the game-winner, a sharp line-drive double to left off Akin—his fifth of the season—that scored both runners for a 3-2 lead. MacIver, batting .228, drove in two runs with the hit, which came on a 2-1 fastball and sealed his first multi-RBI game since early July. Akin, who took the loss and fell to 3-2 with a 3.56 ERA, allowed two runs on two hits in one inning, marking his fourth blown save. Jose Alvarado earned the win for Oakland, pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts to improve to 1-0.

Oakland’s bullpen game strategy paid off, with six pitchers combining for five strikeouts and limiting the Orioles to five hits. Starter Luis Morales threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the first by inducing a groundout from Ryan Mountcastle. Relievers Tyler Ferguson, Bowden, Jacob Sterner and Newcomb bridged to Alvarado, who navigated a bases-loaded threat in the eighth by intentionally walking Ryan Noda before grounding out Gunnar Henderson.

For the Orioles, relievers Yennier Cano and Dietrich Enns provided solid middle relief, with Cano striking out two in a scoreless seventh. However, the offense struggled, going 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and leaving nine on base. Gunnar Henderson singled and stole his 16th base but went 1-for-4, while Adley Rutschman walked twice but failed to record a hit. The team committed no errors but saw Greg Allen caught stealing in the third, halting a potential rally.

This Orioles Athletics game marked the finale of a three-game set, with Oakland taking two of three after splitting the first two contests. The Athletics’ victory came amid their ongoing rebuild, featuring prospects like Thomas and Hernaiz, who made a slick defensive play at shortstop in the fourth to rob Jackson Holliday of a hit. Baltimore, also in rebuilding mode, has leaned on young arms like Povich and hitters such as Westburg and Mayo, both products of the organization’s draft strategy. Westburg, a 2020 first-round pick, has emerged as a key infielder, while Mayo, acquired in a trade, continues to develop at third base.

The loss extended Baltimore’s skid to three of their last four, highlighting bullpen inconsistencies that have plagued the team this season. Akin, typically reliable, has now allowed runs in three of his last five appearances.

Both clubs sit at the bottom of their divisions, with the Orioles 20 games back in the AL East and the Athletics 25 behind in the West. This Orioles Athletics game underscored the parity among rebuilding squads, where late-inning execution often decides outcomes. Baltimore’s next procedural step involves reviewing video of Akin’s ninth inning to refine pitch selection, a standard practice in modern baseball analytics. The team heads to Toronto for a series starting August 12, while Oakland travels to Tampa Bay.

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