Stroman pounded again as Orioles outslug Blue Jays
Starter a growing concern for team after being hit hard in last 8 starts
BALTIMORE The Baltimore Orioles buried Blue Jays pitching — most notably, Marcus Stroman — under a season-high 19-hit barrage Sunday on their way to an 11-6 victory.
The Jays had arrived in Baltimore on Friday, two games behind the American League leaders with a chance to overtake the Orioles. But after Toronto won the opener, the Orioles’ took them to the woodshed the next two days, opening up a three-game advantage on Toronto, which now sits in third place again.
Stroman, after a fast start to his season, has hit a wall over the last month. He was victimized for 10 hits and seven runs, failing to make it out of the fourth inning for the first time this season.
Matt Wieters led the onslaught with four hits, including his seventh homer, while driving in four runs. Jonathan Schoop, Chris Davis and Hyun Soo Kim each had three hits.
Devon Travis had three of Toronto’s seven hits, including a homer and two doubles, good for three RBI. Troy Tulowitzki, who made his return to the lineup after a three-week absence on Saturday, belted a two-run home run, his ninth of the year.
Stroman began the season with a 4-0 record, 3.60 ERA, a .207 opponents batting average and a .578 OPS in his first seven starts. In his next seven starts coming into this game, he was 2-2 with a 6.12 ERA, .330 opponents batting average and a .912 OPS.
On Sunday, he gave up singles to the first two men he faced, got a double-play ball, then gave up an RBI single by Davis. A moment later, Wieters’ home run gave Baltimore a quick 3-0 lead.
At that point the Orioles had to be feeling good because their starter, Chris Tillman had held opponents to three runs or less in 11 of his 14 starts this season. In his most recent 11 starts, Tillman was 8-0 with a 2.49 ERA, a .209 BAA and a .659 OPS.
After Tillman reeled off four outs to start the game, the Blue Jays struck suddenly in the second inning with a Russell Martin double, a two-run homer by Tulowitzki, an infield single by Kevin Pillar and another two-run homer, this one by Devon Travis, to give Toronto the lead 4-3.
But the Orioles kept coming and in the bottom of the fourth, Stroman couldn’t stop the bleeding, getting tagged for three more runs.
On the season, Stroman is now 6-3 with a 5.23 ERA. But in his most recent eight starts, he is 2-3 with a 6.99 ERA and his performance level has to be a growing concern.
He could very well be a candidate to switch places with Drew Hutchison, who threw six shutout innings, striking out 10, for the Buffalo Bisons on Saturday, earning his fourth win in seven decisions. In his last seven starts at Buffalo, Hutchison has pitched 43 innings, allowed 29 hits and 13 walks with a 2.30 ERA and 49 strikeouts.