Orioles rookie goes to extreme lengths to find Craig Kimbrel's historic baseball

After a hard-fought 9-7 win over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday that capped off in historic fashion, Baltimore Orioles rookie outfielder Colton Cowser made a costly blunder.

Cowser caught the final flyout in the bottom of the ninth inning off the bat of Royals catcher Salvador Perez before flinging the game ball behind him and into the stands of Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium in celebration of the Orioles pulling out the victory. But he instantly regretted the decision afterward, quickly realizing it was a meaningful moment for Baltimore closer Craig Kimbrel, who tied legendary relief pitcher Billy Wagner for seventh on the MLB's all-time saves list because of Saturday's effort (422).

"I just yeeted it behind me," Cowser said after the game, per Jake Rill, Orioles beat reporter for MLB.com. "Right when I threw it, I said, 'Craig [Kimbrel] has a lot of saves, that one might have been important.' I literally told Ced [Mullins] right whenever, 'I might have messed up.' And it turns out I did."

It was a textbook rookie mistake from Cowser, who was aware enough to realize he botched but didn't understand how badly until afterward. But he went to great lengths to right his wrong and retrieve the ball shortly after the game ended.

Orioles Colton Cowser makes rookie mistake, takes extreme measures to find Craig Kimbrel's historic baseball

Cowser made an all-out effort to recover the ball he guiltily aimed to toss into the crowd, only to discover it landed in one of the hallmark fountains of the ballpark.

"Apparently the balls sink after two minutes [in the fountains]," Cowser said.

But luckily, a stadium employee was able to fish it out for him to return to Kimbrel. However, that didn't stop Orioles manager Brandon Hyde and teammates from poking fun at the rookie outfielder.

"That's a fine, isn't it?" Hyde light-heartedly asked reporters. "We've got to do something about that."

Orioles rookie Jackson Holiday and infielder Gunnar Henderson mocked Cowser, making him reenact what he had done multiple times.

Alas, it was a case of no harm, no foul -- Cowser rescued the ball and placed it in the Kimbrel's locker, and the latter was unbothered by the former's mistake, finding it funny in hindsight. However, they kept it in a container filled with rice to dry it out from sitting in the fountain.

But Cowser learned his lesson after his debacle almost cost Kimbrel a memento of his illustrious 15-year MLB career: "Every time I catch the ball, and it's a last out from him [Kimbrel] now, it's staying in the glove," he said.