Blue Jays rally to win the series over the Orioles

Looking to win their first series this month, the Blue Jays used a five-run sixth inning to put away the Orioles by a final score of 6-4; however, it was not without a little controversy.

The Jays sent Kevin Gausman to the mound, and the right-hander was dealing until the top of the fifth inning. Holding the O’s off the scoreboard until then, Colton Cowser pounded an inside slider over the right centre field wall, sending the ball 400 feet over the wall for a solo shot. A triple from Jackson Holliday, a double from Blaze Alexander, and a Taylor Ward home run quickly put the Orioles ahead 4-0.

That would be Gausman’s final frame, finishing the day with five hits, four earned runs, zero walks and five K’s across five innings of work. Adam Macko would follow suit, with the left-hander, Connor Seabold, Tyler Rogers, and Louis Varland finishing the evening with no more runs against.

Opposite Gausman this afternoon was right-hander Shane Baz. Similar to the Jays’ hurler, he was cruising until the bottom of the sixth inning when the floodgates opened for Toronto.

It started with a Yohendrick Pinango home run, turning on a changeup and sending the pitch 423 feet over the right field wall for a no-doubt solo shot to put the Jays on the scoreboard. Jesus Sanchez would lace a double to the right field wall to put a runner on, and Ernie Clement would reach base on an error by shortstop Gunnar Henderson, which ended up scoring Sanchez.

With two outs on the board and Clement on second, the Jays took advantage of the opportunity. Kazuma Okamoto singled to left field, scoring Clement and cutting the O’s lead to 4-3. Andres Gimenez followed with a double down the right field line, which scored Okamoto to tie the ballgame.

That play would end Baz’s evening, and the Orioles replaced him with veteran right-hander Yennier Cano. The Jays countered with Nathan Lukes at the plate, replacing Myles Straw in the lineup, and the lefty bat rewarded the Jays manager for his decision. Lukes sent a ball back up the middle that caught Cano, and Holliday flipped the ball to Pete Alonso at first base, but it wasn’t in time to get the outfielder. Some heads-up base running from Gimenez on the lob throw to first base saw a play at the plate unfold, with Gimenez sliding under the tag from Samuel Basallo, giving the Jays a 5-4 lead.

Not to be outdone, Brandon Valenzuela added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning in the form of a 388-foot drive over the right field wall. The switch-hitting backstop worked to a 1-2 count and drove a hanging changeup from reliever Rico Garcia for his seventh home run of the season.

Louis Varland was tasked with the ninth (and one out in the eighth inning), and although he allowed a single to Cowser, he was able to put a zero on the board to give the Jays the win. This inning was also not without its drama, as a dribbler up the first base line from Holliday and a tag from Varland saw the home plate and first base umpire call out the Orioles second baseman for leaving the base line (even though Varland tagged him). The out drew out Albernaz from the dugout again, who surprisingly stayed in the game and didn’t get tossed – he would have been well within his rights to be upset given how the events unfolded for his squad today. Varland would finish the inning by punching out Blaze Alexander, sending the Jays fans home happy.

The Blue Jays will continue the homestand, welcoming the Philadelphia Phillies for a three-game set starting Monday. Patrick Corbin is slated to take the mound, while the Phillies will be sending their top arm, left-hander Christopher Sanchez.

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