Orioles Continue Their Winning Streak In Toronto
TORONTO -- Whatever it takes, the Baltimore Orioles have been able to deliver it recently.
The O's took over the major league lead with two home runs Thursday, including one by Chris Davis to tie the game in the seventh inning.
Then all it took in the ninth was a sacrifice fly to push across the go-ahead run, again provided by Davis, and the Orioles defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 6-5 in the opener of a four-game series. Davis had three RBIs.
Pedro Alvarez also homered for the Orioles (36-23), who have won five in a row.
"You don't make statements in June, you make them when the season is over" Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "We made a couple of mental mistakes that we were able to overcome tonight. ... Chris got it done on both sides of the ball."
Davis also made a spectacular grab of a drive by Justin Smoak in the third.
"I think that's probably my best jump of the year right there," Davis said.
The Blue Jays (32-30) have lost three of their past four games.
With the scored tied, Toronto right-handed reliever Roberto Osuna (2-1) allowed a double by Hyun Soo Kim to start the ninth inning. Joey Rickard ran for Kim, took third on a groundout to short by Manny Machado and scored when Davis flied out to center.
"I feel like we've been kind of rolling lately and playing the game right way," Davis said. "It was nice to be the guy tonight. I've felt like the whole season I've been having really good at-bats but just haven't been able to push through. It was nice to come through for the guys tonight."
Right-hander Dylan Bundy (2-1) allowed a hit, a walk and a hit batter in 2 1/3 innings to earn the win. Zach Britton pitched a perfect ninth to pick up his 19th save.
Toronto right-hander Marcus Stroman allowed four runs, eight hits and a walk in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out two and departed in the sixth for Joe Biagini after Alvarez hit his sixth homer of the season to cut the Blue Jays' lead to 5-4.
Stroman has gone outings without a quality start as he continues to struggle.
"It was a battle for him but I did think he was a little better tonight than last time," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "He's been getting on the side of this two-seamer a little bit and he wasn't getting that good down action. That one inning (the fourth) when he got the three quick outs, it looked like the old two-seamer that he throws. He'll be fine."
Baltimore right-hander Tyler Wilson allowed five runs, seven hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings. He had three strikeouts before being replaced by Bundy.
Left-hander Aaron Loup replaced Biagini with one out in the seventh and gave up the 13th homer of the season by Davis to tie the game 5-5.
Toronto lost right fielder Jose Bautista to right thigh tightness. He walked in the sixth inning and was replaced by pinch runner Ezequiel Carrera, who also took over for him defensively. Bautista is listed as day-to-day.
The Blue Jays led 3-1 after the first inning.
Adam Jones walked to lead off the first, took second on a groundout to first and scored on a double by Machado.
Machado apparently forgot there two outs when he returned to second before trying to score on a double to right by Mark Trumbo. Machado was out at home.
Bautista led off the bottom half with a double and took third on a wild pitch. Josh Donaldson walked and Edwin Encarnacion hit a sacrifice fly to deep center. Michael Saunders followed with an RBI double and Russell Martin hit a two-out RBI single.
The Blue Jays led 4-1 in the second after a double by Devon Travis and a single by Bautista.
The Orioles reduced the margin to one with a two-run third.
Jones singled, Kim was hit by a pitch and Machado singled to load the bases. Davis lined a sacrifice fly to right. Trumbo singled to load the bases and Matt Wieters picked up an RBI with a fielder's choice grounder to first.
"I was struggling to get on top of the ball a little bit," Stroman said. "Our boys did enough to get a win. Extremely frustrated not able to be able to go out there and do my job and get the victory. I felt good in stretches but it left me in stretches. It's more release point, it's finding that consistent slot."
Bautista walked with two out in the fourth and Donaldson tripled to put Toronto ahead 5-3.
