BALTIMORE (AP) — After Ozzie Albies let a ball through his legs in the ninth inning, the Atlanta Braves spent the rest of the game on the ropes.
Somehow, they escaped with a victory — thanks to their bullpen, their manager, their corner infielders and even Albies himself.
“A lot to unpack here,” manager Walt Weiss said.
Weiss ordered an unusual intentional walk with men on first and second in the bottom of the 11th, and the move paid off when Atlanta held on for a 3-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday. The error by Albies helped the Orioles tie the game in the ninth, and then the Braves had to escape a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam — at one point deploying five infielders and two outfielders — to keep the game deadlocked in the 10th.
It looked like a routine victory for Atlanta until Albies missed a grounder in the ninth, giving the Orioles men on first and third with one out and the Braves up 2-1. But Albies made a terrific diving stop on the very next batter and threw to first for the out. The tying run scored, but at least Atlanta was able to prevent the game from getting away that inning.
“Ozzie never misses a ball. He's as sure-handed as anybody in this game. So freak things happen in this game,” Weiss said. “He's one of our leaders. ... If you're in this league long enough, tough things are going to happen to you.”
With the score still tied in the 10th, a wild pitch and a walk put men on first and third for the Orioles. An intentional walk to Pete Alonso loaded the bases.
“It didn't look good when the bases were loaded, nobody out,” Weiss said. “We pull out a five-man infield, just trying to do anything we can to survive there.”
Gunnar Henderson hit a hard liner right at Matt Olson, who was already almost on top of first base when he caught it. Alonso was doubled off.
“That's probably the one ball we can get a double play on,” Weiss said. “And it was close. I wasn't sure if they were going to overturn it or not.”
Third baseman Austin Riley led off the 11th with an RBI double that put the Braves up 3-2, but they still had to sweat out the bottom of the inning. With men on first and second and two outs, Atlanta intentionally walked the left-handed hitting Jackson Holliday, pushing the winning run to second and the tying run to third.
That brought up catcher Sam Huff, who bats right-handed, against righty Tyler Kinley on the mound.
“I'm sure I would have got killed for that one,” Weiss said. “I like Tyler against righties.”
Presumably Weiss was also swayed by the fact that Baltimore's top two catchers are on the injured list and the Orioles had no hitters left on their bench by that point. Huff was 4 for 32 on the season with 19 strikeouts. Then Kinley got him to hit a groundball to end it.
“You've got to earn the right to face guys in this league, right? I haven't earned my right with a lot of lefties lately,” Kinley said. “The easy move there is put him on and let me go attack the righty.”
It was the third time this season a player was intentionally walked with men on first and second. The other two times it backfired. Texas put Houston's Yordan Alvarez on in that situation in the seventh inning July 12, and the next batter hit a two-run single.
This past Friday, Pittsburgh intentionally walked Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Cubs with men on first and second in the 10th, only for the next hitter to draw a walk and force in a run.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
Atlanta Braves pitcher Tyler Kinley celebrates after a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Sunday, July 26, 2026, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)
BLAINE, Minn. (AP) — Jackson Koivun won the 3M Open by three strokes Sunday in only his third start as a professional, holding off Scottie Scheffler with a closing 5-under 66 for a tournament-record 25-under 259 total.
Koivun played a safe and steady game on a 97-degree afternoon at the TPC Twin Cities, going bogey-free for the second straight day after a 61 on Saturday gave him a three-shot cushion.
The 21-year-old player who led Auburn to the NCAA championship last month confidently fended off the world’s top-ranked player in Scheffler, who surged into contention with a 63 while playing five groups ahead.
Scheffler had his fourth runner-up finish this season. His lone win this year came in his first start at The American Express in California.
Hideki Matsuyama, Brian Harman, Chandler Phillips and Denny McCarthy tied for third at 20 under.
Koivun, who became the fourth rookie winner this season, missed the cut at the John Deere Classic in Illinois and tied for 10th at the ISCO Championship in Kentucky earlier this month. He made 10 starts as an amateur on tour events.
ROCESTER, England (AP) — Lucas Herbert had the lowest 72-hole score in LIV Golf history, finishing LIV Golf United Kingdom at 30 under to lead Ripper GC to the team, title.
Herbert led wire-to-wire for his second victory of the season, closing with a 10-under 62. He opened with a 61 to break the course record at JCB Golf & Country Club.
Tyrrell Hatton was second at 24 under after a 63. Bryson DeChambeau followed at 21 under, shooting 68.
GLENEAGLES, Scotland (AP) — Jerry Kelly won the Senior British Open by two shots for his third senior major title, shooting a 2-under 68 on the Kings course at Gleneagles to finish at 10-under 270.
The 59-year-old American also won the Senior Players in 2020 and 2022. He has 14 PGA Tour Champions victories.
Cameron Percy, Darren Fichardt and Matt Gogel tied for second.
TROON, Scotland (AP) — Jenny Shin of South Korea won the Women’s Scottish Open for her first LPGA Tour victory in more than 10 years.
The 33-year-old Shin shot a 3-over 75 on the Dundonald Links to finish at 9 under. She won for the first time since the Texas Shootout in May 2016,
A Lim Kim was second, two strokes back.
The Women’s British Open starts Thursday at Royal Lytham and St. Annes.
GLENVIEW, Ill. (AP) — Tommy Morrison won the Evans Scholars Invitational for his first Korn Ferry Tour title, shooting an 8-under 63 for a three-stroke victory.
Morrison finished at 29 under at The Glen Club. The 21-year-old former University of Texas player opened with rounds of 63, 63 and 64.
Dylan Menante was second after a 65.
Christine Wang won the Hartford HealthCare Women’s Championship for her first Epson Tour title. She closed with a 3-under 68 to finish at 13 under, a stroke ahead of Mirabel Ting at The Golf Club of Avon. ... Germany’s Anton Albers took the Raiffeisenbank Golf Challenge in the Czech Republic for his first Challenge Tour victory. He shot a 6-under 65 to get to 20 under, three shots clear of American Alex Goff. ... Canadian Etienne Papineau outlasted Jack Lundin with a par on the second hole of a playoff in the Osprey Valley Open for his first PGA Tour Americas victory. They finished at 19 under at TPC Toronto. ... Reina Kato won the Japan LPGA’s Daito Kentaku Eheyanet Ladies, closing with a 4-under 68 for a one-stroke victory. She finished at 22 under.
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Individual champion Lucas Herbert, right, of Ripper GC, celebrates after his win with teammates Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman and Travis Smyth on the 18th green following the final round of the LIV Golf United Kingdom golf tournament Sunday, July 26, 2026, in Rocester, England. (Jon Ferrey/LIV Golf via AP)
Jackson Koivun reacts after winning the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club Sunday, July 26, 2026, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Bailey Hillesheim)
Jackson Koivun holds his trophy after winning the 3M Open golf tournament at the Tournament Players Club Sunday, July 26, 2026, in Blaine, Minn. (AP Photo/Bailey Hillesheim)
