Baltimore Orioles at Tampa Bay Rays

There may not be a pitcher on the Orioles’ staff better equipped to handle stressful, high-leverage moments than Cam Sanders. Does the 29-year-old right-hander have the most big league experience? Not even close. But the Thibodaux, La., native has developed a reputation for having a “slow heartbeat” and not getting fazed by pressure-filled situations. Sanders proved it again Saturday night. Thrust into a one-run game in the bottom of the 10th inning at Tropicana Field, Sanders worked a scoreless frame to earn the save in Baltimore’s 4-3 victory over Tampa Bay. The O’s (60-63) have now won each of the first two contests of a four-game weekend wraparound series against the American League East-leading Rays. This win may not have happened, however, without Sanders, once again a hero. “That was just an awesome feeling,” Sanders said. “It’s been unbelievable,” manager Craig Albernaz said. To fully understand the context of what Sanders did Saturday night -- when he inherited an automatic runner and went on to record back-to-back strikeouts of Cedric Mullins and Richie Palacios to seal a victory -- it’s important to know how the righty got to this point. After struggling to an 8.44 ERA over 15 sporadic appearances for the Pirates over the past two seasons, Sanders was designated for assignment on July 11. Two days later, he was traded to the Orioles for cash considerations. By that weekend, Sanders was already pitching in high-leverage spots for his new club. On July 17, Sanders’ O’s debut came with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh inning of a game that Baltimore trailed, 2-1, in Houston. He retired each of the two batters he faced, and the Orioles came back for a 3-2 victory. Then, on July 18, Sanders pitched a 1-2-3 11th inning to seal the O’s 4-2 win over the Astros. “For him to navigate that out of the chute, new team and everything, that kind of just shows me he’s ready for it,” Albernaz said. “Getting DFA’d, jumping on with us and getting an opportunity, it can go one of two ways, and he’s going the way of seizing the opportunity and taking full advantage of it.” It hasn’t been easy since then, either. Sanders was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk on July 19 as part of a roster crunch and didn’t return to the Orioles until getting recalled this past Monday.