Machado Drives In Decisive Run As Orioles Beat Blue Jays 3-2
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Manny Machado doubled in the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning, and the Baltimore Orioles rallied to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 on Wednesday night.
Rookie Joey Rickard had three hits and scored the decisive run for the Orioles, who won despite leaving 13 on base and going 3 for 14 with runners in scoring position.
Baltimore erased a 2-1 deficit in the seventh before taking the lead for the first time in the eighth.
Rickard singled off Brett Cecil (0-3) with one out and moved up on a passed ball by Russell Martin. Machado then hit an opposite-field fly to right that dropped between two fielders, scoring Rickard with an unearned run.
Darren O'Day (1-0) got three straight outs in the eighth and Zach Britton worked the ninth for his fourth save.
Michael Saunders had a single and a double for the Blue Jays, who finished with only four hits -- none after the fourth inning.
Home plate umpire Dan Bellino received hard stares after a few of his third-strike calls. Orioles catcher Matt Wieters evidently got a bit too vocal in the fifth inning after his check swing was ruled to be strike three. Bellino ejected Wieters, a ruling that brought manager Buck Showalter from the dugout for a lengthy argument.
Toronto starter Marco Estrada struck out nine over five innings. The right-hander allowed one run, six hits and four walks.
Chris Tillman got off to a miserable start for the Orioles but finished strong. He gave up two runs and four hits in six innings, walking three and striking out four.
Tillman needed 38 pitches to get through the first. He gave up an RBI double to Josh Donaldson and walked Justin Smoak with the bases loaded to fall behind 2-0.
In the bottom half, Machado extended his hitting streak to 14 games -- matching his career high -- with a run-scoring single. Estrada avoided further damage by working out of a bases-loaded, no-out situation.
The score remained 2-1 until the seventh. After a walk, a hit batter and a single loaded the bases against Pat Venditte, J.J. Hardy tied it with a sacrifice fly off Cecil.
HOLE IN ONE
Baltimore leadoff hitter Joey Rickard was credited with a first-inning single when his hot grounder to third base literally sliced through Donaldson's glove. In the third inning, Donaldson and his new glove went into the stands in pursuit of a foul ball. He had it briefly but lost the handle while tumbling over the seats.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Blue Jays: Reliever Jesse Chavez missed a third straight game with a sore back. Manager John Gibbons said "it shouldn't be much longer" before the right-hander returns. ... Gibbons said LHP Aaron Loup (elbow) is "making progress" in his rehab, but there is no target date for his return.
Orioles: RHP Kevin Gausman (shoulder) could come off the DL on Monday to make his season debut against Tampa Bay. ... DH Jimmy Paredes (left wrist) hopes to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: Aaron Sanchez (1-0, 1.35 ERA) makes his fourth start of the season Friday night in the opener of a three-game series against visiting Oakland.
Orioles: Yovani Gallardo (1-0, 5.63) takes the mound Friday night in a road game against the defending World Series champion Kansas City Royals.
(Copyright 2016 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
