Orioles Again Struggle At Plate In 4-3 Loss To Blue Jays
BALTIMORE (AP) -- The Toronto Blue Jays edged closer to clinching the AL East title Monday night, getting a homer from Edwin Encarnacion and scoring a ninth-inning run to secure a 4-3 comeback victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
Toronto's fifth straight victory, coupled with the Yankees' loss to Boston, reduced the Blue Jays' magic number for securing the division crown to two.
After scoring twice in the eighth to pull even, the Blue Jays got the decisive run against Brad Brach (5-3). Dioner Navarro led off with a single, and was replaced by pinch-runner Dalton Pompey, who advanced on a single. After a sacrifice moved the runners up, Pompey scored when Justin Smoak hit a dribbler to first and Chris Davis threw wildly to the plate.
Brett Cecil (5-5) pitched one inning and Roberto Osuna got two outs for this 20th save.
Ryan Flaherty hit a three-run homer for the Orioles, who have lost four straight.
Toronto starter Marco Estrada gave up three runs and four hits in 7 1-3 innings. After allowing Flaherty's home run in the second, Estrada retired 18 of the next 19 batters. The only Baltimore baserunner during that span was Matt Wieters, who singled with one out in the fourth.
Down 3-1, the Blue Jays rallied in the eighth against Chris Tillman and All-Star reliever Darren O'Day. Ryan Goins led off with a single and advanced on a groundout before O'Day entered and gave up RBI singles to Ben Revere and Jose Bautista.
That spoiled an exceptional outing by Tillman, who took a four-hitter into the eighth. The right-hander was 0-4 with a 15.50 ERA in five starts against Toronto this season, and 4-10 with a 6.02 ERA over his career.
After Encarnacion led off the second inning with his 36th home run, Baltimore answered in the bottom half. Wieters and Jonathan Schoop hit successive one-out singles before Flaherty hit an opposite-field drive that barely cleared the left-field wall.
That ended a run of 29 consecutive scoreless innings by the Orioles, who were blanked in three straight games by Boston over the weekend.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Blue Jays: SS Troy Tulowitzki (shoulder, back) took batting practice and could be back in the lineup during this series. He hasn't played since Sept. 12.
Orioles: Adam Jones was held from the starting lineup for the sixth time in seven games because of an ailing back. "We'll back off a day, see what tomorrow brings," manager Buck Showalter said.
ON DECK
Blue Jays: Marcus Stroman (3-0, 1.89 ERA) makes his fourth start of the season Tuesday night. The right-hander came off the DL on Sept. 11 following knee surgery.
Orioles: Miguel Gonzalez (9-11, 4.85 ERA) starts for the first time since Aug. 30 after being sidelined with right shoulder tendinitis.
(Copyright 2015 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
