Orioles' Colton Cowser Joins Rare Company with Walk-Off Home Run
Colton Cowser has done it again.
For the second straight game, Cowser sent Baltimore Orioles fans home happy by hitting a walk-off home run, this time doing so in the bottom of the 13th inning against the Tampa Bay Rays. With the winning run on second base and one out, the outfielder tagged Jesse Scholtens with a 425-foot shot to the right-center field bleachers, giving the O's a 9-7 win in a game that featured a combined 12 extra-inning runs.
Colton Cowser is the 5th player in the last 25 years with 2 walk-off HR in a 3-team-game span in a season, joining:
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) May 25, 2026
2021 Jonah Heim (b2b gms)
2011 Albert Pujols (b2b)
2003 Barry Bonds
2002 Vladimir Guerrero
He's the 2nd in BAL/SLB franchise hist (1975 Fred Lynn)@EliasSportshttps://t.co/wS9hgP8VoK
Just the day before, Cowser had played the hero in a dramatic 5-3 win over the Detroit Tigers. The 26-year-old was down to his final strike when he belted a three-run walk-off homer against Tigers closer Kenley Jansen, sending Camden Yards into a frenzy.
COLTON COWSER WALK-OFF HOME RUN
— MLB (@MLB) May 24, 2026
THE MILKMAN DELIVERS pic.twitter.com/OWYqkLx8Of
As a result, Cowser became the first player since Jonah Heim in 2021 to hit walk-off home runs on two consecutive days. He also became just the second player in the Orioles' 73-season history to accomplish the feat (per the Elias Sports Bureau), joining Fred Lynn, who did it on May 10 and May 11, 1985, back when the O's played in Memorial Stadium.
Before hitting his home run against the Rays, Cowser played an important role in continuing the game after the 12th inning. With Tampa Bay ahead 5-4 and Cowser (the tying run) at third base, Gunnar Henderson hit a sharp ground ball to first baseman Jonathan Aranda. Aranda promptly fired home, but Cowser, running on contact, successfully got his hand under the arm of catcher Nick Fortes to slide in safely and tie the game.
An INCREDIBLE slide from Colton Cowser ties things back up in the 12th after replay rules him safe!
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 25, 2026
Gunnar Henderson tried to advance to third base but was sent back to first pic.twitter.com/lmPa5K9SdB
On the season, Cowser is still struggling. He currently owns a .200/.287/.316 slash line and just one other home run besides the walk-offs. However, the young outfielder has hit well over his last seven games, going 5-for-14.
Most importantly, Cowser's dramatic game-winning homers could serve as a turning point for an Orioles team that has started slowly. They are currently in fourth place in the AL East with a 24-30 record.
On the other hand, this is the second consecutive game the Rays had lost on a walk-off homer. On Sunday, reliever Kevin Kelly surrendered a game-winning shot to superstar outfielder Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees. Despite the tough losses, Tampa Bay still holds the best record in the American League at 34-17.
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This story was originally published May 25, 2026 at 6:14 PM.