Holliday delivers O's long-awaited first walk-off win of season

BALTIMORE -- “Something magic happens, every time you go …”

The opening notes of “Orioles Magic” blared through the loudspeakers at Camden Yards late Wednesday night, and for the first time this year, the song played as Baltimore players spilled onto the field, jumping and celebrating in excited walk-off fashion.

Jackson Holliday awaited his teammates near second base, then got mobbed by Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg and many more. Holliday’s jersey was ripped open, and a helmet was bestowed backward upon his head by Colton Cowser.

The 2025 Orioles were finally walk-off winners.

In Baltimore’s 120th game of the season -- and its 59th to be played at Camden Yards -- it recorded its first walk-off win, as Holliday ripped a two-out RBI double into the right-field corner in the bottom of the ninth inning and lifted the O’s to a 4-3 victory over the Mariners.

It was the first walk-off hit of Holliday’s 172-game big league career. The Orioles (54-66) had been the only MLB team without a walk-off win this season.

“That was really fun,” Holliday said with a wide smile. “I don’t think I’ve experienced anything like that, maybe besides hitting the first home run. It's pretty exciting. I'm glad I was able to share it with these guys and finally get that first walk-off hit for the team.”

Since 1969, the only time the O’s had gone 59 or more home games into a season without recording a walk-off came in 2019, when they notched their first in their 61st home contest (an 8-7 win over the Astros on Aug. 11 of that year). The only MLB team to go an entire season without a walk-off since ‘69 was the 1978 Cardinals, so the Orioles avoided that rarity.

It was likely beneficial for Baltimore’s players to blow off some steam, considering how difficult this season has been. That’s why it seemed possible Wednesday’s game was heading in a familiar direction as Seattle rallied for two runs to tie it in the top of the ninth inning.

“They tie it up, you’re like, ‘Oh man.’ You could go one of two ways, like, ‘Oh, here we go again,’ or you could keep fighting,” said left-hander Trevor Rogers, who earlier tossed seven innings of one-run ball. “That’s what this team does -- we keep fighting for each other, and we go until the last out.”

The Orioles nearly wasted another gem by Rogers, whose season ERA now sits at 1.43. It’s the second-best mark through the first 11 outings of a season by a starter in O’s history (since 1954), behind only Hoyt Wilhelm, who had a 1.25 mark in ‘59.

When Rogers left the mound following the top of the seventh, Seattle held a 1-0 lead. Then, Baltimore struck for three runs in the bottom of the inning via a leadoff homer by Ryan Mountcastle, a pinch-hit RBI triple from Jeremiah Jackson and a throwing error that allowed Jackson to score on the play.

After the Mariners knotted it up, the Orioles quickly recorded two outs in the bottom of the ninth against right-hander Matt Brash, as extra innings seemed imminent. But Dylan Carlson singled, setting the stage for Holliday, who had been in a bit of a slump.

“Feels like he’s fighting for his life at the plate right now, but he’s not. He’s just doing what you’re supposed to do -- struggle a little bit at times,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “It’s impressive to be frustrated, and then, in the biggest moment, come up big.”

The 21-year-old Holliday was 0-for-4 on the night and was hitting .122 (5-for-41) in August when he stepped to the plate in the ninth. But the youngster connected on a low 2-1 slider from Brash, broke out from his slump and sent the Baltimore fans home happy.

“I knew he had a really good slider, and honestly, just trying to hit another line drive, hit a barrel,” Holliday said. “But I was kind of looking for that pitch and just trying to get it in a good spot to do something with and was able to do that.”

The Orioles’ most recent walk-off win had been last Sept. 19 vs. the Giants -- five days before they clinched a second consecutive postseason berth.

This time, the O’s are already beginning to look toward 2026, as they focus on the development of young players and try to build positive momentum for the future. Perhaps an exciting win -- the type that has been rare in 2025, but was frequent in ‘23 and ‘24 -- will help do that.

“The guys in this clubhouse, we've got to go out and compete every night and do our best to win,” Holliday said. “It's obviously a different scenario than you dream up, but it’s our circumstance and we've got to compete.”