Morales bat trick powers Blue Jays
Three-homer performance settles score in opener while crowd rides Bautista
BALTIMORE— No hats were tossed as Kendrys Morales racked up the second three-homer night of his career here on Thursday, spurring the Blue Jays to a memorable — if inconsequential — 11-8 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
With a fall-like breeze and the expansion of major-league rosters hours away, a 25-man iteration of the team took to the dugout for the last time this season, signalling the beginning of the end of this season of The Show.
Oriole Park at Camden Yards is where the Jays’ underwhelming year began, dropping a pair of games. They fared far better this time, coming from behind thanks a five-run fifth inning and Morales’ 4-for-5 performance, including a career-high seven RBIs.
That slow start in April evolved into a dismal year, and this four-game series opened with an air of too little, too late. For this particular Blue Jays group, the damage has been done.
There’s still bad blood in Baltimore, though, where Jose Bautista in particular has had run-ins with Orioles pitchers.
In the third frame, as Bautista readied in the on-deck circle, a fan heckled, “No one likes you, Jose.” The right fielder, who heard boos all night long, turned and blew a kiss.
Bautista has been particularly tough on the Orioles over the years, the Blue Jays’ leader in homers and RBIs against them. But Baltimore has won all four previous series between the teams in 2017.
So it meant all that much more to the Blue Jays to have Josh Donaldson back in the lineup after an offday, with right-hander Marco Estrada on the mound. Steve Pearce remained at first base for another game as Justin Smoak continued to battle a sore right calf — manager John Gibbons hoped to have him back on Friday.
Estrada’s Achilles’ heel — the first inning — acted up again. He walked the No. 2 hitter, Manny Machado, who promptly stole second. Catcher Miguel Montero’s wild throw moved him to third. Two batters later, an Adam Jones homer made it 2-0 for the home side.
The Orioles added to their lead in the second inning when, with two on, Donaldson missed the ball as he attempted to barehand a roller by Chris Davis. It was ruled an infield single, scoring Schoop from third.
Morales’ first dinger of the contest, which cashed in Donaldson from second base, came in the top of the third. Davis and Mark Trumbo struck back for the Orioles, driving in runs in the bottom of the frame.
Toronto broke out in the fifth, the game-winning rally starting with a one-out double from Ryan Goins. Orioles starter Jeremy Hellickson rung up Pearce before a two-out walk by Donaldson, RBI single from Morales and another walk to Bautista loaded the bases. Back-to-back doubles by Montero and Kevin Pillar scored three runs.
The Blue Jays tallied a handful before the inning was through and led 7-5.
That two-run lead was cut in half when Estrada gave up a solo homer to Davis in the bottom of the frame, but Morales’ second long ball plated Pearce and Donaldson in the sev- enth. A solo shot in the eighth capped a powerful performance by Morales, the first Blue Jay to go deep three times in a game this season.
Ryan Tepera allowed a pair of runs in the eighth. Roberto Osuna wound up working four outs for his 35th save of the season.
The Jays snapped the Orioles’ seven-game win streak.