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Orioles Walk Off in Game 3 Thriller, Keep ALDS Hopes Alive at Camden Yards
By The Baltimore Sun Staff | October 10, 1916 | Camden Yards
BALTIMORE — In a game that hung on every pitch, it was the hometown faithful who erupted last, and loudest.
Shortstop Chris Alfonso, quiet until it mattered most, delivered a clutch ninth-inning single to lift the Baltimore Orioles to a 3-2 walk-off victory over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday afternoon at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The win breathes life into Baltimore’s postseason, trimming Chicago’s lead in the American League Division Series to 2-1 and forcing a Game 4 on Wednesday.
On a crisp October afternoon, it was left-hander Sal Cantu who set the tone for the Orioles. In front of 43,736 raucous fans, Cantu spun seven masterful innings, surrendering just two hits and two runs—only one of them earned—while keeping Chicago's bats quiet and the Birds’ hopes aloft.
“I just tried to attack the bottom of the zone and keep it there,” Cantu said afterward, his voice low and calm in the postgame clubhouse. “That’s where we could win.”
And win they did—with flair.
After falling behind 2-0 in the fifth inning, the Orioles struck back immediately. A double by J. Rizo and a sharp RBI single from O. Herrera sparked a two-run rally to tie the game, igniting a crowd hungry for a postseason moment.
From there, it became a battle of nerves.
Reliever A. Jeoffrey worked two crucial shutout innings in relief of Cantu, stranding a pair of runners in the top of the ninth to preserve the tie and set the stage for a dramatic finish.
In the bottom of the inning, it was Alfonso—already with two hits to his name—who stepped in with runners aboard and the season in the balance. He laced a 2-1 pitch into left field, sending Santiago Herrera racing home from third and bringing the dugout and the ballpark to life.
“I was just thinking, ‘Put the ball in play. Make something happen,’” Alfonso said. “And then I heard the crowd. I’ll never forget that sound.”
The win not only staves off elimination but shifts the series’ momentum back to Baltimore, who will host Game 4 with renewed energy and a resurgent belief in their own October destiny.
A Look at the Numbers:
Alfonso finished the day 3-for-5, driving in the winning run and raising his postseason average to .364.
Cantu’s ERA through two playoff starts now sits at a stingy 0.64, further solidifying his postseason credentials.
Rizo contributed two hits, including a double, while Hyland and McCarvill chipped in with timely production.
The Orioles outhit the White Sox 8 to 4, and stranded nine men on base—a sign that despite the win, they’ll want more efficiency with runners in scoring position in Game 4.
Looking Ahead:
Game 4 is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon at Oriole Park. First pitch is set for 2:05 PM ET. The Orioles will need another strong showing to send this series back to Chicago for a decisive fifth game. The White Sox, meanwhile, will aim to close the door.
For Baltimore, Tuesday was a victory defined not by dominance, but by heart—and the belief that October magic still resides at Camden Yards.
“It’s not over,” Cantu said with a steady gaze. “Not even close.”
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