BALTIMORE — The Orioles led 2-0 Saturday, but their bats went cold in the middle innings as the Blue Jays’ heated up. Toronto took a 5-2 lead into the eighth, and the Blue Jays were four outs away from a comeback win of their own.
But Orioles designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn golfed a Jordan Romano slider 406 feet to right-center field to tie the score and send the game to extra innings.
In the 10th, Austin Hays’ RBI groundout scored Ryan Mountcastle for the winning run, and Félix Bautista was lights out to strand the automatic runner and deliver the Orioles a 6-5 victory.
The series victory for Baltimore (30-16) is their 10th out of the past 12.
The Orioles’ first hit came from second baseman Adam Frazier, who roped a line drive to right field that rolled to the wall after Blue Jays right fielder George Springer missed it on his diving attempt. His only out was a check-swing strikeout, after which he and Toronto pitcher Alek Manoah exchanged some not-so-friendly words.
O’Hearn then singled on a ground ball to right field — his first of three hits — to give Baltimore an early lead.
Leadoff hitter Cedric Mullins doubled the Orioles’ advantage with a solo homer to right field. The long ball was originally ruled a double at it caromed back into the field, but the review gave Mullins his seventh home run and 20th extra-base hit of the season.
The Blue Jays, who scored just two runs in Friday’s loss, were held scoreless by Rodriguez through the first four innings, but Springer’s two-run blast in the fifth tied the game. Catcher Danny Jansen hit a solo shot off reliever Bryan Baker, who used to pitch in the Blue Jays’ organization, in the sixth to give Toronto a 3-2 lead.
In the seventh, Springer singled home a run off reliever Mike Baumann, lashing a ground ball that ricocheted off shortstop Jorge Mateo’s glove. Pinch-hitter Alejandro Kirk singled to center field off Cole Irvin, the starting pitcher who is up from Triple-A to provide bullpen help, for a run that was charged to Baumann.
It appeared as if the Blue Jays would win the game before extras, as Bautista allowed the first two batters to reach base, but he got three straight outs to end the threat.
Rodriguez rebounds
Grayson Rodriguez has started two games against American League East opponents, and they’ve been two of his better starts as he’s largely struggled to begin his rookie campaign.
On May 9, Rodriguez rebounded from a drubbing against the Kansas City Royals to pitch a career-high 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball against the MLB-best Tampa Bay Rays. The 23-year-old was facing a similar scenario Saturday, and he produced nearly the same result.
Coming off his worst start of the season earlier this week, Rodriguez allowed two runs in five innings against a deep Blue Jays lineup. Five days after surrendering nine hits and eight runs to the Los Angeles Angels, the hard-throwing right-hander struck out six while scattering four hits and one walk.
It wasn’t a perfect start, as the sport’s top pitching prospect, according to Baseball America, still didn’t look like his dominant self, but he stranded runners in three of his first four innings. After stranding one in the first and going three-up, three-down in the second, Rodriguez got a popup and a strikeout to leave Santiago Espinal at third base.
In the fourth, he allowed a walk and a double with one out, but he snagged a comebacker to get an out in a rundown between third and home and then struck out Daulton Varsho swinging. After both inning-ending punchouts, Rodriguez screamed into his glove, perhaps the most emotive he’s been since he debuted in early April.
The big blemish for Rodriguez was the two-run home run he allowed to Springer in the fifth. He got behind the four-time All-Star 2-0, and Springer made him pay by smashing a cutter over the left field wall.
Around the horn
— Reliever Mychal Givens (left knee inflammation) is with the team in Toronto but hasn’t been activated off the 15-day. Givens threw a bullpen at Camden Yards on Thursday and last appeared in a game during his minor league rehabilitation assignment Tuesday. “He feels pretty good,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “We’re monitoring right now, and hopefully he’ll be active for us here in the near future.”
— Third baseman Ramón Urías (left hamstring strain) is “right on track,” Hyde said, and could begin his minor league rehab assignment “later next week.”
— Outfield prospect Colton Cowser was placed on Triple-A Norfolk’s injured list Saturday with a left quad injury. Cowser, Baltimore’s second-best prospect still in the minors, has a 1.023 OPS with the Tides this season. Norfolk catcher Maverick Handley was also placed on the IL with left wrist inflammation.
