TORONTO — Austin Hays made a leaping, game-saving catch of Whit Merrifield’s liner within the ninth inning, and the AL-best Baltimore Orioles remained unbeaten at Toronto this season, outlasting the Blue Jays 4-2 on Monday night time.
Orioles nearer Félix Bautista walked two with one out within the ninth earlier than Merrifield lined a 99 mph fastball to left-center. Left fielder Hays sprinted towards the ball, left his ft and grabbed it simply earlier than he hit the turf. Bautista then struck out Santiago Espinal to finish the five-out save, his twenty ninth in 34 alternatives.
Espinal had come on within the third to interchange Blue Jays shortstop and AL batting chief Bo Bichette, who departed with a sore proper knee.
Gunnar Henderson homered for Baltimore, which swept a three-game sequence at third-place Toronto in May. Ryan Mountcastle doubled twice and drove in three runs because the Orioles maintained their 1 1/2-game lead over Tampa Bay within the AL East.
Kyle Gibson (10-6) allowed one run and 4 hits in six-plus innings to win for the primary time in 4 begins.
Toronto’s Chris Bassitt (10-6) took his first loss since June 13 at Baltimore, permitting 4 runs and 7 hits in six innings.
Mountcastle hit a two-out, two-run double within the first. Henderson led off the third along with his seventeenth homer, and Mountcastle added a sacrifice fly later within the inning.
Gibson left after strolling Matt Chapman to start the seventh. Left-hander Danny Coulombe got here on and walked Daulton Varsho on 4 pitches however recovered by getting Alejandro Kirk to pop up, then putting out pinch-hitter Jordan Luplow and Kevin Kiermaier.
Yennier Canó gave up a leadoff residence run to Merrifield within the eighth and left after issuing a pair of one-out walks to Brandon Belt and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Félix Bautista got here on and struck out Chapman wanting, then retired Varsho on a flyball. The Orioles’ dominant nearer threw a season-high 35 pitches whereas decreasing his ERA to 0.87.
BICHETTE’S INJURY
Bichette hit a two-out single to proper discipline and made the flip for second, however began to gradual up as he noticed Anthony Santander throwing the ball to the infield. Bichette then stopped operating and reached for his knee. Shortstop Jorge Mateo came visiting and tagged Bichette to finish the inning.
Bichette had two hits earlier than departing, boosting his AL-leading complete to 144.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: RHP Mychal Givens (shoulder) and LHP Keegan Akin (again) every threw one inning for Baltimore’s rookie-level Florida Complex League staff Monday. Akin allowed three runs and 4 hits, whereas Givens struck out two and gave up one hit in a scoreless inning.
MERRIFIELD MASHING
Merrified’s residence run was his ninth. Seven of his homers have come since July 6, when he went deep twice towards the White Sox.
SPRINGER SITS
Blue Jays OF George Springer was held out of the beginning lineup. Springer is hitless in 29 at-bats.
HELLO, HICKS!
RHP Jordan Hicks, acquired from St. Louis on Sunday, joined the Blue Jays Monday.
ROSTER MOVES
Toronto positioned RHP Jay Jackson on the household medical emergency listing and recalled RHP Bowden Francis from Triple-A Buffalo. Jackson’s son JR was born prematurely earlier this month.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays LHP Hyun Jin Ryu shall be activated off the injured listing to make his season debut on Tuesday. Ryu had Tommy John surgical procedure in June 2022. RHP Kyle Bradish (6-6, 3.29 ERA) begins for Baltimore.
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