Baltimore Orioles' Anthony Santander (25) hits a grand slam as Toronto Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen (9) looks on during eighth inning American League MLB baseball action in Toronto on Tuesday, August 1, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
TORONTO – Anthony Santander’s grand slam blew the game wide open as the Baltimore Orioles routed Toronto 13-3 on Tuesday to spoil Blue Jays pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu’s return from Tommy John surgery.
Gunnar Henderson went 2 for 4 at the plate, including a solo homer, driving in four runs as Baltimore (66-41) won its third straight. Ryan Mountcastle had two RBI doubles, Ryan McKenna added a two-run single, and Adley Rutschman drove in a run with a hit.
Kyle Bradish (7-6) struck out seven, allowing three runs on four hits over seven innings. Cionel Perez and Joey Krehbiel pitched scoreless innings of relief.
Danny Jansen had a two-run homer and Brandon Belt added a solo shot as Toronto (59-49) dropped its third straight decision.
Ryu (0-1) allowed nine hits and one walk but limited Baltimore to four runs over five-plus innings. It was Ryu’s first start of 2023 after undergoing season-ending surgery more than a year ago.
Trevor Richards, Genesis Cabrera, Nate Pearson and Jordan Hicks came out of the bullpen, with Cabrera, Pearson and Hicks giving up nine runs.
Ryu struggled through his six starts in 2022, earning just two wins with a 5.67 earned-run average before undergoing ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction – commonly known as Tommy John surgery – for the second time of his career.
Most Tommy John operations take 18 months to recover from but the 36-year-old Ryu was back at the major-league level in less than 14.
“He spent his entire off-season recovering with us, with the Toronto Blue Jays, and at our facilities,” said general manager Ross Atkins. “All 13-and-a-half months were hands on and the discipline was so impressive to see.
“Because I saw it firsthand it wasn’t surprising to see the quick return.”
Rutschman and Mountcastle had back-to-back doubles to lead off the game. Mountcastle’s hit to deep centre field easily scored Rutschman. Henderson then tacked on another run, hitting into a fielder’s choice that allowed Mountcastle to score for an early 2-0 Baltimore lead and a concerning start to Ryu’s night.
Rutschman did damage again in the second inning, singling to left field to drive in Ramon Urias, for his 48th RBI this year.
But Ryu settled down after that, facing 11 batters in the next three innings. The Blue Jays’ solid defence backed him up with a double play ending the third and fifth innings.
Toronto’s offence also backed Ryu up in the bottom of the second, with Matt Chapman leading the inning off with a single. Jansen then hammered the first pitch he saw from Bradish 405 feet to left-centre field to cut the Orioles’ lead to one.
It was Jansen’s 15th homer of the season, matching his career high set last year.
Belt tied it up in the third, taking a 95.5 m.p.h. four-seam fastball from Bradish 395 feet. His ninth of the season brought the 40,691 at Rogers Centre to their feet with the score even at 3-3.
Ryu’s night ended after he gave up a solo shot to Henderson to start the sixth inning. Henderson’s homer stayed just inside the right-field foul netting to re-establish Baltimore’s lead.
It was Henderson’s 18th of the season, briefly matching Santander for most on the Orioles.
Mountcastle tacked on another run in the seventh, doubling to the left-field corner. That extra-base hit allowed Jorge Mateo to cross the plate.
Henderson struck yet again three batters later. His base hit to shallow left field scored Mountcastle and Austin Hays as Baltimore scored three runs in the inning for a 7-3 lead.
After getting two outs to start the eighth, Pearson got into trouble. He walked three consecutive Orioles to load the bases and then Santander crushed the ball 403 feet to the ballpark’s second deck for the second grand slam of his career and 19th home run of his season.
McKenna extended Baltimore’s lead in the ninth, drawing boos from the remaining fans at Rogers Centre, when his RBI single cashed in Henderson and Jordan Westburg for a 10-run advantage.
BICHETTE DAY-TO -DAY – Blue Jays all-star shortstop Bo Bichette is day to day with right knee discomfort. Bichette left the game in the third inning of Toronto’s 4-2 loss to Baltimore on Monday after he seemingly jammed his knee when stopping suddenly while running the basepaths. An MRI of the 25-year-old’s knee revealed no significant structural damage, just some inflammation.
ON DECK – Yusei Kikuchi (8-3) will start for Toronto in the third game of the four-game series with Baltimore.
Grayson Rodriguez (2-2) will take the mound for the Orioles.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2023.
