O’s lead shrinks to half-game
Loss is 4th straight as 2-0 edge evaporates and rally falls short
TORONTO — The Orioles’ schedule the past three nights was more that of a team on a barnstorming tour than a major league club, as they played in a different city for a third straight day Friday night at Rogers Centre.
The daily traveling ended in Toronto, but not before the Orioles dropped their fourth straight game, 6-5, in their series opener against the Blue Jays.
With the loss, the Orioles (58-44) lead Toronto (58-45) by a mere half-game in the American League East.
The Orioles arrived in Toronto early Friday morning after playing a makeup game in Minnesota on Thursday night.
They jumped on Blue Jays starter Marco Estrada early, taking a 2-0 lead on Mark Trumbo’s two-out, two-run double in the top of the first inning.
The Blue Jays answered with three solo homers off Kevin Gausman ( 2-8) in the bottom half. Manny Machado breaks for home and scores after Toronto catcher Russell Martin dropped the ball covering third base in the third. Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Troy Tulowitzki went deep in the opening frame, and Gausman allowed six runs over three innings, tying his shortest start of the season.
“There’s things you can take from it, but I look at it as a night I was out of whack for some reason,” Gausman said.
Manny Machado brought the Orioles within one run in the eighth inning on his 22nd homer of the season, a solo blast on the first pitch he saw from Blue Jays reliever Jason Grilli. J.J. Hardy doubled with two outs in the ninth, but the tying run was stranded in scoring position when Adam Jones grounded out on his first pitch from Roberto Osuna. Machado scores on sandlot play: Machado has been criticized this season for his aggressive base running, but his heads-up play led to a run in the third inning to tie the game at 3.
After drawing a one-out walk, Machado went to second when Chris Davis grounded out into the shift, then kept going to third with three infielders on the left side and no one covering third.
Catcher Russell Martin raced over to try to cover third but couldn’t come up with the throw. The ball scooted away from him as Machado sprinted home. Worley keeps it close: Righthander Vance Worley, making his first appearance since starting Sunday against the Cleveland Indians, pitched four scoreless innings to keep the Orioles within striking distance.
Worley gave up several loud outs but retired 12 of the 14 batters he faced, allowing only one hit and one walk on the night.