Baltimore Closes on 11-Inning High Note

Orioles 5, Blue Jays 4

BALTIMORE, Oct. 4 -- A walk-off win was the best possible way for the Baltimore Orioles to end an otherwise disappointing 2009 season.

But in typical Orioles fashion, the circumstances made it hard to get overly excited about the victory. There was no game-ending home run or even a game-winning single. The Orioles' 5-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday was achieved when reliever Brandon League made back-to-back throwing errors on sacrifice bunt attempts in the 11th inning.

"It was certainly a strange final day," Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts said. "You don't expect to play extra innings, and you certainly don't expect to end it on back-to-back bunt throwing errors. It's good for us to end with four wins, and to end on a positive note and let everybody kind of go out of here with a smile on their face."

Before an announced crowd of 17,969, which completed a new Camden Yards low in season attendance, the Orioles accomplished exactly what they wanted to on the final day of their season. The victory allowed them to finish with a four-game winning streak, their first since mid-June. By concluding with a 64-98 record, they avoided the franchise's worst season since 1988, finishing a half-game better than the 2001 team, which went 63-98.

Third baseman Melvin Mora played likely his final game of a 10-season career with the Orioles and received a standing ovation after the sixth inning, in which he was removed for a pinch hitter. He acknowledged the moment was "real emotional."

Outfielder Nick Markakis smacked a two-run homer in the first inning to reach the 100-RBI plateau for the second time in his career. Needing to pitch 7 2/3 innings to give him 200 for the first time in his career, Jeremy Guthrie (10-17) did exactly that.

"I think they both earned it. I think they both deserved it," Manager Dave Trembley said. "I told Guthrie in the dugout, for me, the record does not indicate what he did here. He took the ball, he works real hard, he gives you everything he's got when he's out there, and he competes. Markakis is a very unselfish, unassuming guy. He hits the home run and puts his head down and runs around the bases just like it's another day at the ballpark for him. He's just level all the time. Great for him."

Blue Jays shortstop John McDonald tied the score at four. with a solo homer off Guthrie in the seventh inning, one of three the Orioles right-hander surrendered. The score stayed that way until the 11th .