12:31 a.m.: With the Yanks rained out, the O's went into their late game tonight knowing a win would tie them for first. Erasmo Ramirez shut them down for 8 innings, but gave up hits to the first two batters of the ninth before getting pulled. So the O's have the tying runs on, down 2-0.

12:32: Sac bunt, tying runs on second and third!

12:33: They did it!!! 2-run single, we're tied!!!!

12:34: Holy crap, I barely start the live blog and the Magic actually happens. Since it's tied, now I could be up all night...

12:36: And they're out of it, left go-ahead run on 2nd. So we go to the bottom of the 9th, tied at 2.

12:41: First two M's go down in bot 9.

12:47: O's change pitchers after 2-out walk.

12:49: We go extras in Seattle! So...the Red Sox won earlier, a normal-seeming game that still took more than 4 hours. The Rays had an odd line: 5 runs, 5 hits, 3 errors. TC's intro to the post-game, of course, gave no credit to the Red Sox for winning their 4th in 5 games, he just noted how the Rays are "folding before our eyes."

12:53: O's batting in 10th, 2 outs, nobody on. They've won 13 straight extra innings games.

12:56: Damn, Endy Chavez came up, so I knew that inning was about to endy. 2-2, mid 10th.

1:00: First Mariner gets on in bottom 10th, next one tries to sac but pops out!

1:01: Next guy singles. M's have winning run on 2nd, 1 out.

1:05: Huge strikeout by the new pitcher O'Day, who I saw pitch at the first ever game at Citi Field. 2 out.

1:09: Another K! O's get out of it! Magic!!! Yankees shitting their pants! We go to the 11th!

1:15: First O of the 11th singles, next guy bunts him over.

1:25: Jones up, 2 on, 2 out, looking to avoid the Golden Sombrero. And he's hit by a pitch. Loaded for Balty, Wieters up, 2 outs, tied.

1:28: Wieters goddamn fucking strikes out, swings and misses on all 3 pitches he sees. We go bottom 11, tied at 2.

1:35: Once again, the M's get the first guy on, then pop out on the bunt attempt! Now 2 outs in bottom 11th, still a man on first. It's usually around this point I start forgetting what inning it is.

1:41: We go to the 12th. What did I say before about being up all night?

1:50: And then my power went out! Whole street is dark. We've been getting crazy wind. Now on Kim's iPhone. Two outs for O's in 12th.

1:55: This is so weird. The wind died down and the rain stopped. So I sit in dark silence. Bottom 12, still tied.

2:04: Holy crap. Seattle had first batter double to the wall. After an out they walk a guy intentionally. Then Strop strikes the next two out! This Orioles team is insane. We go to the 13th. Still no power at my house. But this phone had a lot of life left...

2:15: O's get lead off man on, can't score. Mid 13th now.

2:21: Lights on, appliances buzzing, fans whirring. Power back on in Providence! Mariners went down in the 13th. We go to the 14th tied at 2.

2:25: The stupid Baltimore Sun guy talking about how being forced to endure this game is "karma" for missing an earlier long one. What an ass. I'm loving this. He covers the Orioles and they're trying to win this incredible game to tie for first place, in mid-September. And it's 3 hours earlier where he is. And he's complaining! 2 outs for Balty in 14th... got it back on mlb.tv now so don't need to read that Sun guy's updates.

2:27: 14th inning stretch. 2-2. Dear Baltimore Sun, I'll gladly take the job from your guy who doesn't want to do it.

2:32: First 2 M's go down in 14th against Johnson (not the closer).

2:34: Time-wise, this game JUST passed the Red Sox game from earlier. That game went 9 innings, this one is in the 14th--make it the 15th! Tied at 2....

2:40: One down, top 15th. Oh no, Endy Chavez...

2:41: My suspicion--that Endy Chavez shouldn't be playing MLB and therefore will make an easy out--was correct. He pops out on a fat 2-0 pitch. I have come to trust the O's this year, except for him. Now the next guy grounds out. We go tot he bottom of the 15th.

2:46: Two outs for Seattle. How is it that the few games I love-blog are always completely insane? I mean I usually start these in games that are close and late, but they all could end at any moment in extras. Yet they all go on and on and on and on.... Man on first for the Ms now, bottom 15, 2 outs.

2:51: Next two Ms get on. 2 on 2 out. Bottom 15.

2:54: O's get out of another jam! We go to the 16th.

3:06: O's have a man on first with one out, and now a balk moves him to second!

3:07: Ground out. Man on 3rd for Balt, 2 down.

3:10: Damn, Jones grounds to short, guy takes his time and almost doesn't get him. But does. 2-2, mid 16th.

3:13: Tommy Hunter in, walks first guy. This is another guy I don't trust too much. Despite what I said earlier.

3:14: Finally a successful sac bunt for Seattle. Man on second, one out. I feel like Wieters could have thrown the guy out at second, didn't try. Now man on 3rd, 2 outs.

3:16: Hunter strands the winning run at third on easy flyout! We go to the 17th!

3:20: Wieters Ks to lead off 17th. He's 0 for 7. Reynolds hit by pitch--go-ahead run on 1st for Balty, 1 out.

3:22: Manny single, 1st and 3rd, 1 out! Score now please!!!!

3:25: Line SHOT, caught by SS. Shit! Two outs.

3:27: Goddamn. Another lineout ends the inning. O's strand 2. Is this real life?

3:30: One-hopper that Reynolds can't handle, goes down the line for a double. Fortunately, the next guy pops out! So M's have winning run on second, 1 out.

3:34: Big K for Hunter. Two down. Figgins up.

3:36: Grounder, stabbed by Hunter. Looked like it was headed up the middle, which would have won the game. Instead, the O's are out of it. We go to the 18th.

3:42: ORIOLES SCORE! Nobody out, a run in and 2 men on.

3:43: Bases loaded, 1 out. 3-2 Orioles. It was Teagarden whose bloop single brought in the go-ahead run with men on 1st and 3rd.

3:46: Weird play on a grounder to left side. M's get an out at 3rd, but run scores. 4-2 O's.

3:48: We go to the bottom of the 18th inning in Seattle, Washington. Orioles 4, Mariners 2.

3:51: Closer Johnson in. Pop out to short to start the bottom of the 18th.

3:53: K. 2 down!

3:55: Orioles WIN! Tied for first again!

3:57: Okay, finally I can say this. The O's are back in a tie for first with the Yanks. After the rainout in NY tonight, the Yanks will play a doubleheader tomorrow, meaning today. Then the O's play another late game. This could be a huge day. Gotta get a split out of that DH, then the O's will know they can move into first alone with a win. But they're facing King Felix, so let's just get a sweep, eh? Then an Orioles win would put the lead at 1.5. So let's get that too. See you tomorrow.