MLB: Colton Cowser robs Rockies of walk-off homer as Orioles return to .500

Colton Cowser turned a potential Rockies walk-off home run into the final out of the game with a spectacular catch at the center-field wall.

With Baltimore leading 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth, reliever Andrew Kittredge had allowed Colorado to put a runner on second with two outs. Jake McCarthy then drove a deep fly ball toward center field, with its distance estimated at 425 feet, or about 129.5 meters.

Cowser retreated toward the wall and jumped just before the ball could clear it. The catch preserved the Orioles’ one-run victory on the road and completed their fourth consecutive win. Baltimore returned to an even record for the first time since April 30, moving to 69-69.

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I honestly didn’t know if it was going to get out. He was playing a little bit shallow, and when I saw him start going back, I thought it had a chance to hit the wall or be a home run.

McCarthy said he was unsure whether the ball would leave the park. He noted that Cowser had been positioned slightly shallow, but began to believe the ball might either reach the wall or become a home run when the outfielder started running back. “That was an unbelievable play,” McCarthy said. “Given the situation in the game and the difficulty of that catch, it was really crazy.”

The Orioles sit fourth in the American League East, only half a game behind the Cleveland Guardians for the third American League wild-card spot. Colorado, meanwhile, fell to 52-86 after five straight losses and has lost 10 consecutive games at home.

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That was an unbelievable play. Given the situation in the game and the difficulty of that catch, it was really crazy.