A thrilling Houdini act in the 8th turned into Birdland disappointment in the 9th, as Keegan Akin gave up a two-run homer to Ceddanne Rafaela to seal a 3-2 Orioles loss.

Akin entered in the top of the 8th with runners on first and third and nobody out as the Orioles clung to a 2-1 lead. The O’s de facto closer started his evening by punching out Roman Anthony on a changeup that clipped the bottom of the zone. He followed that up by striking out Alex Bregman on a 3-2 slider that dive-bombed Bregman’s back foot. Akin completed the escape act by getting Trevor Story to ground out to short, keeping the lead intact.

With the adrenaline pumping, Akin came back out for the 9th, looking to lock down the win. On the call, Ben McDonald warned about the dangers of sending a reliever back out after

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