Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Felix Bautista (74) reacts after the final out of the game in tenth inning MLB American League baseball action against the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto on Saturday, May 20, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston
TORONTO (AP) – Ryan Mountcastle scored the go-ahead run in the 10th inning when third baseman Matt Chapman’s throw hit him in the back on Austin Hays’ grounder, and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-5 Saturday to become the second team to reach 30 wins.
“Our guys are really competing every game right now,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “It’s a fun team to watch.”
Ryan O’Hearn went 3-for-5 and tied his career high with four RBIs, including a three-run homer in the eighth off Jordan Romano that tied the score 5-5. Cedric Mullins hit a solo homer as the Orioles (30-16) won for the eighth time in 11 games. Baltimore trails Tampa Bay (34-13) by 3 1/2 games in the AL East.
“Coming in here and getting a series win against a team we’re competing for the division with is huge,” O’Hearn said. “It does nothing but build confidence for the guys. It’s pretty fun to be a part of right now.”
O’Hearn said he was looking for a fastball from Romano but recognized the slider after seeing it earlier in the at-bat. He drove the ball 406 feet to centre.
“I just caught it right,” O’Hearn said. “I knew I got enough of it off the bat to get it out and tie the game.”
George Springer hit a two-run homer and Danny Jansen hit a solo shot for the Blue Jays.
Toronto has lost three straight and five of six since sweeping a three-game series against Atlanta last weekend. The Blue Jays dropped three of four to the Yankees this week and have lost consecutive series for the first time this season.
Mountcastle started the 10th on second as the automatic runner and advanced when Adam Frazier sacrificed against Yimi Garcia (1-1). Hays hit a two-hopper that Chapman backhanded and fired home. The ball bounced away from Jansen at the plate and was scored a fielder’s choice.
Romano’s blown save was his third in 13 chances.
Kevin Kiermaier singled leading off the ninth and stole second, but Félix Bautista (3-1) struck out Bo Bichette, got Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to fly out, then fanned Alejandro Kirk. Bautista pitched the 10th and struck out his final five batters.
Coming off his first career loss, Baltimore rookie right-hander Grayson Rodriguez allowed two runs and four hits in five innings.
“I thought he grew today,” Hyde said. “It’s a tough environment to pitch in, 41-thousand here in Toronto. To do what he did, I thought was a really good step for him.”
After working almost exclusively with catcher Alejandro Kirk since the start of the 2022 season, struggling Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah was paired with Jansen.
Manoah walked a career-worst seven and allowed five earned runs in his previous start, a May 15 loss to the Yankees. Against Baltimore, Manoah gave up two runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out five.
Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker came to the mound after Anthony Santander’s one-out single in the sixth. Manoah hit Mountcastle with an 0-2 fastball, then struck out Frazier. Manager John Schneider then came out, apparently forgetting that Walker had just visited the mound. Schneider initially left Manoah in to face Gunnar Henderson, but plate umpire and crew chief Dan Iassogna told Schneider he had to replace Manoah.
Schneider acknowledged his mistake after the game.
“I (messed) up,” Schneider said. “I forgot Pete went out there because we were talking about a lot of different stuff.”’
Even Manoah, who knew Walker had just visited, was confused.
“The umpire was like “˜Hey, that was your second visit,'” Manoah said. “I was kind of hoping everyone forgot about the first one.”
Mayza came on and Baltimore replaced Henderson with right-hander Joey Ortiz, but Kevin Kiermaier made a leaping catch on the warning track to retire Ortiz.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: 2B Santiago Espinal left because of a sore right hamstring after stealing second base in the seventh. He was replaced by Whit Merrifield. Espinal went 3-for-3 before departing.
DOUBLE PLEASURE
Chapman’s double in the fourth was his major league-leading 19th.
GRAYSON’S Ks
Rodriguez reached 50 strikeouts, the most ever by an Orioles pitcher after nine career starts. He has struck out six or more five times.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays RHP Kevin Gausman (2-3, 3.27) faces his former team for the third time when he starts Sunday’s series finale. RHP Dean Kremer (5-1, 4.94) goes for the Orioles. Gausman had a 7.00 ERA in two starts against Baltimore last season.
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