BALTIMORE – With a combination of strong pitching and just enough offense, the Orioles moved within one game of their first AL East Division title since 1997 with a 5-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. With a win in Tuesday’s contest, the O’s would be able to celebrate at home, which they were not able to at any point during their last playoff appearance in 2012.
“It’s pretty special to be coming here tomorrow to have a chance to do that,” said Showalter. “I’ve had a lot of sleepless nights for a lot of reasons, but tonight I look forward to losing that sleep.”
Monday’s game featured a two-run home run from Ryan Flaherty to account for nearly half of the Orioles’ runs, and a bit of head-hunting by the Toronto Blue Jays and starter Marcus Stroman.
Orioles starter Wei-Yin Chen struggled early, allowing a first-inning base hit to Jays SS Jose Reyes, who stole second. Chen then allowed a base hit to Jose Bautista before Edwin Encarnacion singled Reyes in, for the Jays’ first run. But Chen, as if echoing manager Buck Showalter’s call from the previous night to “limit the damage” struck out 1B/former Oriole Danny Valencia and C Dioner Navarro before a spectacular diving catch by Nick Markakis got the Orioles out of the inning. The Markakis catch involved a dive to his right and a backhand snow-cone of the ball just as he slid onto the outfield grass – a highlight reel moment to be sure that prevented one or two more Toronto runs.
Chen pitched 5 2/3 innings allowing just two runs on nine hits for his 16th win of the season but was matched up well against Stroman, making his debut against Baltimore.
Stroman (10-5, 9-5 as a starter going into the game) had pitched well against other opponents but had missed the Orioles in the schedule before Monday’s game but judging from his actions in the game, the Orioles might not be looking forward to seeing him again any time soon.
Stroman got into hot water after appearing to throw behind O’s catcher Caleb Joseph in the bottom of the 6th inning, inciting a warning to both benches from umpire Ted Barrett in what Stroman may have believed was a show of support for Reyes. Reyes, in the top of the 6th, felt Joseph had illegally blocked the plate, attempting to prevent him from scoring on a base hit from Danny Valencia.
Reyes barked at Barrett after the play, but Barrett took no action against Joseph. When Stroman threw behind the Orioles’ catcher, Showalter took strong exception.
“You mean the intentional throwing at Caleb?” Showalter responded to a reporter’s question. “Let’s face it he’s 23, he’s emotional. You see him coming off the mound doing his little whatever… I’m sure Toronto’ll take care of it and maybe the league office will take care of it.”
In the bottom of the first it was Markakis who got things going for the Orioles with a base hit to left. He then took third on a base hit by Alejandro De Aza, with De Aza advancing to second. The next batter Adam Jones then hit a dribbler that dropped slowly into no man’s land between the pitcher’s mound and third, scoring Markakis, with De Aza going to third, and no play at first.
Though Nelson Cruz grounded into a double play in the next at-bat, De Aza came in to score the second run of the night for the O’s.
It was Cruz who drove home the Orioles’ third run as well. With two out in the third, Jones again got on base in an unusual way with a perfectly placed bloop into right field which fell about three feet from three different charging Toronto players. Jones then went to second on a wild pitch from Stroman before Cruz singled up the middle to bring him in and a 3-1 lead with it.
The Blue Jays, with one out and two men on, threatened in the fourth when 3B Steve Tolleson bunted for a base hit. Chen struck out Kevin Pillar but then faced Ryan Goins in a lengthy at bat, where Goins fouled off five pitches before flying out to De Aza in deep left.
In the 5th, Kelly Johnson left off with a single and 2B Ryan Flaherty followed with a two-run homer off Stroman, only the 7th he has allowed all season.
The Jays continued to threaten throughout the game, but Chen seemed to be up to the task. Chen left with two and two out in the 6th after striking out pinch hitter Colby Rasmus, giving way to reliever Brad Brach who struck out Reyes to end the threat. The Jays posted another two-on, two-out threat in the 8th, but Kevin Pillar was called out on strikes against Tommy Hunter who came in relief of Brach.
Zach Britton entered in the 9th to earn his 35th save of the year but that also did not come easily. With one out, the Jays had runners at first and second when Encarnacion hit a slow roller to short that led to a force play at second, challenged unsuccessfully by Jays manager John Gibbons. Britton then got Valencia to ground out to end the game.
NOTES:
SCOREBOARD HIJINX
A night after the scoreboard and video screen went black for the first two innings of Sunday’s nationally-televised game against the Yankees, it was as if “Mulholland Drive” director David Lynch took over the scoreboard against the Jays. At one point in the bottom of the 6th, the board had the Orioles logo replaced with a Blue Jay and their lineup in blue while Toronto’s logo became an Oriole while their players were listed in orange.
SCARY MOMENT
Former Oriole/current Blue Jay IF Steve Tolleson, who left the game for pinch hitter Adam Lind in the 8th, was hit by a scorching foul ball into the Jays dugout. After a few hushed moments, Tolleson waved to the crowd to indicate that he was okay, to a nice applause. Shades of Glenn Davis anyone?
VOCAL SAILORS
Sailors from the Royal Canadian Navy were scattered throughout Camden Yards and formed a small, but vocal contingent of the crowd.
25,061 game attendance 2,271,216 season attendance
