Calling the Pen: Heads-up play by Rutschman and Henderson sparks Orioles

There was one play Tuesday night that was a turning point, not just for the outcome of the Orioles’ game against the Yankees but possibly for the Orioles’ confidence in the playoffs.

It occurred in the bottom of the seventh, with the Orioles trying to hold off a Yankees rally. The Yankees had reduced the Orioles’ 4-1 lead to 4-2 on a couple of soft hits and a ground-rule double by Gleyber Torres. With Alex Verdugo at third and Torres at second, Juan Soto lined a sharp single to right that rightfielder Anthony Santander caught on one hop.

Verdugo scored and Santander fired toward home plate to prevent Torres from scoring the tying run. Because Santander overthrew the cutoff man, Soto took off for second while Torres held up at third. Catcher Adley Rutschman fielded the throw and immediately threw toward second to nab Soto. Shortstop Gunnar Henderson saw Torres break for home, fielded the ball in front of second and fired back to Rutschman, who trapped Torres in a rundown. He eventually was tagged out by Henderson for the third out,

It was a heads-up play that took advantage of the Yankees’ baserunning mistakes. I made it plural because if Soto had not tried to take second, Torres would have remained at third, and Aaron Judge would have batted.

Instead, Colton Cower led off the top of the eighth with his most impressive home run of the season, a 432-foot blast that produced the final margin in a 5-3, playoff-clinching victory. Discussion of the play was drowned out by the noise and alcohol in a joyous locker room but its significance was unmistakable.

It came on a night when the Orioles finally had put the band back together. Ryan Mountcastle, Jordan Westburg and Ramón Urías  were together in an Orioles infield for the first time since July 31st. Henderson made a sparkling play at short to retire the speedy Jazz Chisholm for the first out in the ninth. Dean Kremer gave up a home run to Judge but nothing else, Ryan O’Hearn had a clutch hit, Santander hit his 44th home run that produced his 100th RBI. The bullpen bent some, but it didn’t break.

It was one play, and one game, but the Orioles looked more like the first-half team than the one that has scuffled  in the second half. And now they’re in the playoffs for the second straight year, the first time that has happened since 1996 and 1997.

Rutschman was the point man for the key play, and he has represented the team’s second-half struggles. In the locker room, he looked happy instead of weary, and he spoke about the character the team has demonstrated, or developed, because of the adversity it has faced. Last year, the Orioles won the American League East and 101 games. Tuesday night’s win was their 87th, with five games to go.

Expectations were high in the Division Series and a team that had not been swept all season were swept out of the playoffs in three games by the Texas Rangers. Expectations aren’t as high this year, and were dropping with each series loss. But maybe this team is more battle tested. Maybe this team is putting pieces together at just the right time.

Their starting pitchers for the best-of-three wild-card series will be Corbin Burnes, Zach Eflin and Dean Kremer. With Danny Coulombe back, their bullpen is fortified, although still a concern. With Westburg,  Urías and Mountcastle back, they have the hitting balance and talent that’s been missing.

It remains to be seen if the Orioles can recapture the energy and efficiency they showed in the first half but one play might have been a sign that the band is not only back together, but is back.