The Baltimore Orioles rallied to comeback in the 7th and 8th innings as the Toronto Blue Jays failed to secure the series. Anthony Santander hit two homers and Jackson Holliday hit another one of his own to help the Orioles defeat the Blue Jays by a final score of 7-3.
The Blue Jays sent Bowden Francis (4-3, 5.64) to face Trevor Rogers (2-10, 4.76) for the Orioles. Francis gave the Jays a quality start with his performance, throwing 5 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits, walking one and punching out seven. Rogers had a similar outing, he also threw 5 innings, allowing two runs over seven hits, walking two and striking out two. Both starters were given no-decisions.
The scoring got started early, with both teams getting runs on the board in the 1st inning. In the top half, Santander got the fireworks going with a two run shot to give the Orioles a quick 2-0 lead.
The Jays would get one run back in the bottom half, scoring on a sacrifice fly by Spencer Horwitz.
The Blue Jays would get a pair of runs in the bottom of the 2nd. An RBI single from Brian Serven tied the game at two runs apiece. Later in the inning, Ernie Clement hit a routine ground ball and what looked to be the third out of the inning, but rookie Coby Mayo made a throwing error to allow the Blue Jays to take a 3-2 lead.
The score stayed the same until the top of the 7th, when the Orioles showed just why they have some of the scariest offence in the game of baseball. Jackson Holliday stepped up and sent a ball deep into the Toronto night, a 424 foot two run shot to give Baltimore a 4-3 lead.
The O’s would pile on more in the 8th, when Anthony Santander connected for his second long ball of the night, extending the Baltimore lead to 5-2. A two RBI double from Eloy Jimenez later in the inning would extend the Orioles’ lead to 7-3.
Toronto’s bats went away quietly as they failed to score anymore runs after the 2nd inning. The bullpen woes for the Blue Jays also continued. Ryan Burr (0-0, 4.61) and the newly acquired Ryan Yarborough (4-2, 3.69) both combined to allow five runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief, Burr was also handed his first loss of the year.
Kevin Gausman (9-8, 4.56) will take the mound for Toronto to face Dean Kremer (4-8, 4.39) for Baltimore as the Blue Jays look to take the series finale with a win tomorrow night.