The Toronto Blue Jays and host Baltimore Orioles have played three one-run games during their series that wraps up Sunday afternoon.
No lead has been safe in the late innings, with the winning run in each of the three games coming in the eighth or ninth innings.
“I feel like we kind of just flip-flopped,” said Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso, who had the game-winning single Saturday. “(Friday) night, we had a pretty good commanding lead and then they took it from us. And then, same thing happened but the other way. So I feel like (Friday) night we should have won, and then (Saturday), they should have won. So I feel like baseball has a funny way of kind of evening out.”
Toronto came back from five down Friday night. The Orioles erased a four-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth to win 6-5 on Saturday, with eight consecutive batters reaching base.
“We never feel like we’re out of a game,” Baltimore manager Craig Albernaz said. “Everyone was in the dugout saying, ‘Get the tying run up, one at-bat at a time.’ We don’t waver.”
That type of comeback could bode well in future games for the Orioles.
“I think we’re never really out of the game,” infielder Jackson Holliday said. “And it’s pretty awesome to put together some really good at-bats, just next-guy mentality.”
Although Toronto’s four-game winning streak has been dashed, the Blue Jays have won eight of their last 11 games. Had they won Saturday, they would have been above .500 for the first time since April 3.
Still, there were notable developments for the Blue Jays despite the result. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 4-for-5 to boost his batting average to .305, with four multi-hit games in his last six.
“Try to believe in my approach and go out there and have fun,” Guerrero said.
Outfielder Nathan Lukes is 7-for-16 in five games since coming off the injury list following a hamstring injury.
“He’s a good player, man. He showed it all last year,” manager John Schneider said. “It’s having that consistency of the at-bats and his heads-up plays defensively.”
The Orioles have right-hander Kyle Bradish (2-6, 3.86 ERA) lined up as their starter Sunday. He has given up three total runs in 11 1/3 innings covering the past two starts, yet has a 0-1 record to show for it.
This will mark Bradish’s sixth outing in his last seven starts against an American League East opponent.
Bradish is 1-3 with a 5.18 ERA in eight previous starts vs. Toronto, which he last faced more than two years ago (May 15, 2024). He has allowed six homers to the Blue Jays in 40 innings.
The Blue Jays have been juggling their pitching rotation most of the week, landing on right-hander Spencer Miles (2-0, 2.16) as their starter for the series finale.
While 14 of his 15 appearances since his major league debut March 28 have been out of the bullpen, he’s built out to throwing more than four innings in each of his last two outings. Over his last four appearances (one start), he’s allowed just one run on nine hits across 15 1/3 innings.
This will be his first career appearance against Baltimore.
Miles’ ratio of 32 strikeouts to nine walks should be music to the ears of the Blue Jays after their pitching staff walked 11 batters and hit another Saturday.
“It’s just our guys being disciplined throughout the game,” Albernaz said. “… Take your walk and pass it to the next guy. That was fun to watch.”
–Field Level Media
