Orioles snap Jays’ four-game win streak
The Blue Jays concluded the penultimate homestand of their season with a 2-1 loss to the Orioles on Wednesday, as Baltimore left-hander Zach Britton nailed down the save, unlike his outing the night before.
The Jays now head out for a fourgame series against the wild-card contending Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Yes, the wild-card contending Twins. That is not a misprint. The Jays appear headed for last in the AL East.
The loss ended two streaks on this night — the Jays had won four in a row and the O’s had lost five straight.
In the first inning, the defence in support of starter Marcus Stroman looked like it had not come ready to play. The game’s first pitch was bounced to Josh Donaldson, who took his time but pulled Justin Smoak off the bag at first. One out later, Jonathan Schoop slashed a hard grounder to Donaldson, who lost it in his feet and was able to get just one out at first. With two down Adam Jones lined a ball to left centre field. Rookie Teoscar Hernandez zigged when he should have zagged and played it into a double. Finally came a lapse in the Gold Glove-calibre defence of Kevin Pillar. He usually owns the wall behind him in centre, but he hesitated on Trey Mancini’s long flyball, then strayed too close to the rebound that scooted past him for a triple.
The O’s had built up a two-run lead on the Stro Show.
“I think I made some good pitches there,” Stroman said of that fateful first.
“The only pitch I regret is the pitch to Mancini. I got in on Jones, he didn’t hit it on the barrel. He just muscled it out there. The slider to Mancini just kind of slipped. I usually pride myself on being better in those situations. I didn’t do what I needed to do in those circumstances.”
For the Jays, the kids were alright once again. Leading off the third, rookie Hernandez roped a line drive off the right-field wall for a leadoff double. Ryan Goins sacrificed him to third, then fellow rookie Richard Urena tantalizingly blooped a double to left for which Mancini dove and pushed the ball into foul territory. Akey moment for Stroman came in the fourth. The O’s loaded the bases on a leadoff double by Mancini and two bases-on-balls. Jays pitching coach Pete Walker hustled to the mound and, after a brief conversation, Stroman fanned Seth Smith and coerced Caleb Joseph into an inning-ending double play.
“I’m sure,” Stroman responded, when it was suggested Walker was merely slowing the game for him. “Just give me a little breather. Give me a little time to reassess, rethink how I’m going to attack these hitters and lock me back in.”
After six innings and 92 pitches, Stroman was done.
He allowed two unearned runs on six hits, with three walks and seven strikeouts. Noted as a sinkerballer, the O’s hit 13 balls on the ground, with zero outs in the air.
Wednesday’s game marked the return to action of Jays catcher Russell Martin, who was out since Aug. 12 with a strained right oblique. It was his second stint on the disabled list;t he first was for left shoulder damage on May 7. In all, the veteran was scratched for 42 starts.
Missing the playoffs this season will snap a streak of six straight years in which the Jays catcher has led his team to the post-season (the past two with Toronto, the previous two with the Pirates, and two with the Yankees.)