O's fall to Jays 8-7 in seesaw battle
A game that featured some great pitching from unlikely sources through four innings turned into a slugfest that ended in a 8-7 Blue Jays win.
Kam Mickolio picks up the loss, his first major league decision, and Jesse Carlson gets his seventh win out of the Toronto 'pen. B.J. Ryan pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 30th save.
After the O's got on the board in the top of the first, Brian Bass and David Purcey put up a bunch of zeros, but both teams exploded in the fifth inning.
The Birds got five runs on six straight hits to start the frame, including Aubrey Huff's 32nd home run of the season.
Toronto came right back with a five-spot of their own, touching Bass for five hits in the inning. For the second straight start, Bass got tired and just could not get through the fifth.
Alex Rios delivered the big blow, making it just a 6-5 O's lead with his two-run double.
The Jays tied the game an inning later as Joe Inglett's RBI single scored pinch-runner John McDonald, and then they took their first lead of the series in the seventh.
The teams traded runs on Rios' solo home run and Luke Scott's pinch-hit single, but Toronto took the lead for good in the bottom of the eighth on a manufactured run.
Scott Rolen led off with a double off of Mickolio, he was sacrificed over to third, and then came in on Travis Snider's sac fly.
The O's wrap up the three-game set in Toronto Thursday night, and then will travel to New York for the final series at Yankee Stadium.
Final Linescore
Toronto 8 14 0
Baltimore 7 14 1
Postgame Notes
Brian Bass cruised through four innings, but he got himself into trouble in the fifth. He threw only 55 pitches, and said that fatigue wasn't an issue, but Dave Trembley said that Bass just elevated the ball too much late in his outing.
Bass' line: 4.1 IP, 7H, 5ER, 2K, 0BB
Melvin Mora appeared to tweak his hamstring while running out a ground ball in the top of the ninth inning. Mora missed almost two weeks earlier this month with a hamstring issue...Garrett Olson will head to the mound tomorrow night in the rubber game of the series. Olson is 1-3 in his last four decisions.
Dan Kolko's GameBlog
Scott comes up big off the bench
Luke Scott came off the bench to pinch hit for Luke Montanez, and his RBI single scored Oscar Salazar and tied the game at 7.
This game has now seen 13 runners cross the plate in the last three and a half innings.
Kam Mickolio is on the hill for the O's in the bottom of the eighth.
Rios rocks one
Rocky Cherry came on to start the seventh inning and promptly served up a longball to Alex Rios, which gave the Blue Jays a 7-6 lead.
Rios now has three RBI on the night, and he has given Toronto their first lead of the game.
We've got a new ballgame
Lance Cormier got the first two outs in the sixth inning, and then allowed three straight hits, capped by Joe Inglett's RBI single that tied the game.
Pinch-runner John McDonald came around from second to score as Adam Jones' throw sailed up the third-base line.
After the O's got out to a 6-0 lead, the Jays have now come back to tie it up as we head into the seventh.
Jays right back in it
For the second straight start, Brian Bass was spotted a lead, but hit a wall in the fifth inning, and this time his fatigue led to five Toronto runs.
The Blue Jays put together a five hit inning, and Alex Rios delivered the big blow with a two-run double that brought the Jays to within a run.
Bass was lifted after 4.1 innings, and was charged with all five runs. Lance Cormier came on to try and stop the bleeding, but he allowed Rios' gapper.
Big 5th gives O's 6-0 lead
The O's connected on six straight hits to start the fifth inning, and put up five runs in the process.
Nick Markakis' ground-rule double scored Juan Castro, Melvin Mora's single plated Brian Roberts and Markakis, and then Aubrey Huff launched a two-run shot deep into the right field seats to give the Birds a 6-0 lead.
David Purcey then dramatically turned things around, striking out the side to get out of the inning.
O's still up through 3
Brian Roberts' run in the first inning is the only mark on the board through three innings.
Brian Bass has thrown three scoreless frames for the O's, and he's looked good in the process. Bass has allowed just two hits and has struck out two.
He's thrown 29 pitches -- 22 for strikes.
Birds on the Board
Brian Roberts led off the top of the first with a double to deep left, and after a Nick Markakis single moved him to third, Roberts came in when Melvin Mora grounded into a double-play.
Dave Trembley's crew looks to pick up their third straight win, and they're off to a good start.
Underway in Toronto
We're underway north of the border. Brian Bass takes the bump for the O's, while the Birds' hitters will take aim against someone they've never seen before -- rookie David Purcey.
Starting Lineups
Orioles
Brian Roberts - 2B
Nick Markakis - RF
Melvin Mora - 3B
Aubrey Huff - 1B
Ramon Hernandez - C
Adam Jones - CF
Oscar Salazar - DH
Lou Montanez - LF
Juan Castro - SS
Brian Bass - P
Blue Jays
Joe Inglett - 2B
Marco Scutaro - SS
Alex Rios - RF
Vernon Wells - CF
Adam Lind - LF
Lyle Overbay - 1B
Scott Rolen - 3B
Greg Zaun - C
Travis Snider - DH
David Purcey - P
Game Preview
Orioles (67-82) at Toronto (80-71)
Look what can happen when you get good starting pitching.
Chris Waters threw the O's first complete-game shutout of the season last night, allowing just four hits en route to a 2-0 win over the Blue Jays.
Toronto, which had been the hottest team in baseball a week ago, has now lost five of their last six. The Birds look to continue the trend of solid starting pitching leading to wins, as they shoot for their third "W" in a row.
Pitching Match-Up
RHP Brian Bass (3-4, 4.84) tonight makes his 47th appearance of the season and the second start of his Major League career. Bass was acquired in a deal with the Twins for a player to be named later or cash. He was 3-4, 4.87 this season with the Twins in 44 games.
Bass made his O's debut Friday September 5th vs. Oakland and gave up two runs in 1 2/3 innings. His first career start came last Thursday vs. Cleveland and he did not get a decision. In 4 1/3 innings, Bass allowed four hits and three runs, though just one was earned. In his two O's outings, he is 0-0, 4.50.
Bass allows an average of .318 vs. right-handed hitters and .265 vs. lefties. In 20 road games this season, he is 1-2, 7.80.
The 26-year-old righty spent most of this season in the Majors but made two late August starts at Triple-A Rochester. In 182 career Minor League games, Bass made 151 starts.
Bass was drafted in the sixth round by Kansas City in 2000 and pitched in the Royals' organization from 2000-2006. Before last season he signed with Minnesota as a Minor League free agent.
Bass pitched in relief one game this year vs. Toronto and pitched two scoreless and hitless innings. That's his only career appearance vs. the Blue Jays.
LHP David Purcey (3-6, 5.10) will make his first career start against the O's.
The rookie allowed four runs (three earned) and six hits in 6 2-3 innings his last time out in a loss to the Red Sox.
Two starts ago, however, he threw eight scoreless innings, striking out seven in a 1-0 win over Tampa Bay.
Purcey is 2-2, 4.88 at home this season. The lefty from Oklahoma was taken by the Blue Jays in the first-round of the 2004 draft.
Leave a comment