Orioles 10, Tigers 9: Baltimore Erases Seven-Run Deficit in 12 Innings

Baltimore's rally began with two outs in the seventh

July 29, 2026 – Detroit – Tarik Skubal had two outs in the seventh inning, a seven-run lead and a shutout that had reached his 92nd pitch. Baltimore had spent most of the afternoon helping Detroit build that lead. Then Leody Taveras singled, and a game that looked finished began to come apart.

The Baltimore Orioles scored five runs in the seventh, two in the eighth, two in the 11th and one in the 12th. Colton Cowser drove in the final run with a two-out single, sending Baltimore to a 10-9 win over the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.

Calling it a comeback barely covers the route. The Orioles trailed 7-0 after six innings. They tied the score, moved ahead in extra innings, watched Spencer Torkelson erase that lead with his 100th career home run, then won the game a second time.

Baltimore took two of three in Detroit and improved to 53-56. The Orioles had not won after trailing by seven runs since a nine-run comeback against Boston in 2009, according to MLB.com. Wednesday's win was also their first from a 7-0 deficit since 1995.

Detroit built seven runs from Baltimore's mistakes

The Tigers did not need a home run to seize control. They scored three times in the third, twice in the fifth and twice in the sixth.

Javier Báez drove a single to right in the third, and Baltimore's defense let two runs score on the play. Kevin McGonigle added a sacrifice fly. Báez brought home another run in the fifth before Hao-Yu Lee's sacrifice fly made it 5-0. Zach McKinstry's two-run double in the sixth pushed the lead to seven.

That was more than enough support for Skubal through six innings. The left-hander allowed four hits, struck out six and walked one across 6 2/3 innings. Three earned runs went on his line, but the shape of his outing was much better than the final number suggests.

Skubal retired the first two Orioles in the seventh before Taveras singled home Gunnar Henderson. Detroit manager A.J. Hinch went to Kyle Finnegan with two runners aboard. Jeremiah Jackson then fought through a 12-pitch walk to load the bases.

Skubal had controlled the game. Finnegan needed one out to end the inning but couldn't get it.

Holliday and Ward turned one run into five

Jackson Holliday came off the bench and lined a two-run single to right. Taveras and Coby Mayo scored, while Jeremiah Jackson reached third. Taylor Ward followed with another two-run single. In a few minutes, Detroit's 7-0 lead had become 7-5.

The inning worked because Baltimore stopped giving away plate appearances. Taveras started the scoring with two outs. Jackson refused to chase through a long at-bat. Holliday and Ward attacked pitches they could drive. Five straight runs changed both the score and Detroit's bullpen plan.

The Orioles returned in the eighth against Drew Anderson. Henderson and Dylan Beavers reached scoring position with one out. Mayo drove a ball off the center-field wall for the first triple of his major league career, and both runners scored.

The hit gave Mayo two RBIs, two runs and two walks in a 2-for-3 afternoon. Seven unanswered Baltimore runs had tied the game before Detroit recorded six outs.

The 10th and 11th innings refused to settle it

Detroit had its cleanest chance to end the game in the 10th. The Tigers put runners on the corners with one out, but Tyler Wells got Eduardo Valencia to bounce into a 6-4-3 double play.

Baltimore went ahead in the 11th. Yohel Pozo's sacrifice fly scored the automatic runner, and Holliday singled home Mayo for a 9-7 lead. Holliday had entered as a pinch-hitter and driven in three runs.

Torkelson answered in the bottom half. His two-run homer to left traveled 391 feet and scored Valencia, tying the game 9-9. It was Torkelson's 100th career home run, a round milestone reached in the least tidy game possible.

Cowser faced left-hander Drew Sommers with a runner on third and two outs in the 12th. He fell behind 0-2, worked the count full and lined a high, inside sinker into center. Ward scored, and Baltimore had its third lead or tie-changing hit in five innings.

Detroit still put runners on second and third in the bottom of the 12th. Andrew Kittredge entered and got Valencia to ground out. The Orioles had finally run out of ways to give the game back.

Mayo's score matched the comeback's shape

AthX Engine (AthX's projection and scoring system) credited Baltimore with 14 team fantasy points and Detroit with seven. Mayo led the Orioles with 10 hitting FP. His tying triple, two walks and two runs made him the clearest measure of Baltimore's patient comeback.

Torkelson scored nine hitting FP for Detroit, driven by the two-run homer that extended the game. Skubal finished with 15.66 pitching FP after his 6 2/3 innings, six strikeouts and one walk.

Fantasy points describe performance in this game. Share prices also respond to buying and selling activity through AthX dynamic pricing, so the two numbers are related but not identical.

Baltimore kept responding through 12 innings

One July win does not erase a losing record. It does show why Baltimore remains difficult to dismiss. The Orioles overcame six scoreless innings, a seven-run deficit and Torkelson's tying homer in the 11th. Each time, the next hitter returned to the work in front of him.

Detroit will remember the missed finish. Baltimore will remember Taveras starting the rally with two outs, Mayo reaching the wall and Cowser staying alive from 0-2. A game that belonged to Skubal for 92 pitches belonged to the Orioles after 12 innings.

Marketplace

*Sources: MLB.com Gameday final, MLB.com game story, ESPN recap and box score, MLB.com schedule, and AthX Engine scoring. Information only; not financial advice.*