“Just Probably Didn’t Make The Right Pitches”

The Baltimore Orioles established a two run lead in the first inning and despite seeing sixteen of their batters retired from the end of the third inning through the start of the seventh, maintained the lead going into the home half of the ninth inning. Leading 4-2, the Baltimore bullpen choked, allowing the Toronto Blue Jays (86-62) to walk off a 5-4 victory.

Baltimore’s bullpen, which has been solid of late, allowed a combined 4 runs on 8 hits over 1.2 innings. Kade Strowd started the eighth inning and allowed a run on 2 hits and recorded 2 outs. Keegan Akin came into the game and allowed an inherited runner to score on an Alejandro Kirk single but escaped without further damage. Akin came out in the ninth and allowed a one-out Dalton Varsho single and allowed him to advance to second on an errant throw to Coby Mayo at first before giving way to Yennier Cano (3-7).

Cano gave up three consecutive singles, allowing the Blue Jays to tie the game at four runs a piece. Catcher’s interference by Samuel Basallo allowed George Springer to reach first and load the bases. Kirk’s sacrifice fly to Colton Cowser in center field allowed pinch-hitter Joey Loperfido to score the winning walk-off run, hanging the loss on Cano.

The Orioles opened the game with a Jackson Holliday single, a Dylan Beavers walk, a Gunnar Henderson RBI double, and a Tyler O’Neill RBI groundout, all off future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer.

Starter Tomoyuki Sugano (6.0 IP, R, 4 H, 4 K, HR) got the better of Scherzer (5.0 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 2 BB, 5 K, WP) despite being hit on the left lower leg by a 112.6 mph shot off the bat of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to end the first inning. Neither starter factored into the decision.

Basallo’s eighth inning RBI double allowed O’Neill to score Baltimore’s third run.

Mayo (2 for 4) hit his eighth homerun on the season in the ninth inning, extending the Orioles lead to 4-2 at the time.

Henderson went 2 for4 with a stolen base.

With Sunday’s game expected to be a bullpen game for the Orioles, the hope is for a better performance out of the bullpen.

BOX SCORE

2025 Record: 69-79

Next Game: Sun. 9/14 @ 1:37 pm vs. Blue Jays in Toronto