What a win: Orioles come back to beat Toronto, 6-5 in 10 innings (updated)

TORONTO – In a game between two struggling right-handed starting pitchers – one coming off a tremendous 2022 season – of course runs were hard to come by for much of today at Rogers Centre in Toronto.

But a few swings proved big, and Toronto catcher Danny Jansen had one. His line drive solo homer to left in the last of the sixth broke a 2-2 tie and provided Toronto a 3-2 lead that would grow to 5-2.

But the Orioles would get a massive home run of their own. Ryan O'Hearn's three-run blast to right-center in the eighth off closer Jordan Romano tied this game 5-5 on one swing. The Orioles were 1-for-8 in the game with runners in scoring position until O'Hearn connected.

Romano had allowed just one homer in 18 innings this season, and four over 64 innings in 2022.

O'Hearn, who singled in a run in the second, hit a low-middle 2-2 slider 406 feet to tie the game with his second O's homer.  

And on a day they led early by two runs and trailed late by three, the Orioles pulled out an improbable 6-5 win in 10 innings over Toronto to record another series win. 

The club continues to impress and has picked up two huge American League East wins this weekend at Rogers Centre.

The O's might have made a bit of a statement here this weekend.

“I think tomorrow is the statement game," said O'Hearn. "You know, we won the series. If we can come in here and sweep these guys, I think that is going to make a statement.”

O'Hearn's big swing in the eighth meant the Orioles would have a chance to win the game later.

“I was on a fastball," he said of his hitting approach against Romano. "He’s got a good, hoppy fastball top of the zone. I saw a slider earlier in the at-bat, saw it out of the hand. Later in the at-bat I was still on a fastball, (then) saw that slider jump out of his hand and tried to hit it center. Just caught it right and got enough of it to get it and tie the ballgame.

“I was riled up, for sure. That is probably one of my favorite homers. Late in the game against Romano, a guy who has really good stuff as a closer. To give us a chance to win there late means a lot to me."

A sellout crowd of 41,611 at Rogers Centre saw the Orioles improve to 30-16 and move five games ahead of Toronto, now at 25-21. With Tampa Bay's latest win, the O's remain 3 1/2 back in the division.

The O's gained the 6-5 lead in the 10th. Ryan Mountcastle, the placed runner at second, advanced to third with one out on Adam Frazier's sac bunt. Then Austin Hays hit a grounder to third and the throw home hit Mountcastle, who scored on a fielder's choice for the lead. Manager Brandon Hyde would credit Mountcastle for running where he made a throw tough to make, and Hyde said it was just a small thing in a game when the O's picked up one of their most improbable wins of the year.

“This is at the top for me," said Hyde. "We just did so many good things, little things. Mounty there getting on the inside, huge play, great baserunning. Frazier all day long, what he was doing offensively. Ryan O’Hearn three-run homer, big spot off a closer. And how about my man (Félix) Bautista? That was unbelievable. Cano, Bautista at the end, on fumes, amazing performance."

The game got to extras following a great escape act by Bautista, who put the first two runners on in the ninth. But with a chance for a walk-off win there for Toronto, he struck out Bo Bichette, got Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to fly out and fanned Alejandro Kirk.

The big man did it again in the 10th. With the placed runner on second, he struck out Matt Chapman with a 98 mph heater, fanned Danny Jansen at 99 and then got Daulton Varsho at 99.5 mph. 

A fantastic two innings by Bautista, who fanned five, throwing 31 pitches to get the win while holding the Jays to 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

“I was really excited to get to pitch," Bautista said through team interpreter Brandon Quinones. "Tie game in the ninth, some high stakes, high emotions going into that one. Coming back out for the 10th just adds even more fuel. Knowing we had the lead, knowing we had the chance to close it out and get the win, a lot of emotions."

Righty Bryan Baker, pitching for the fourth time in six days, relieved O’s starter Grayson Rodriguez to begin the Jays sixth. He got the first two out before Jansen lined a low fastball into the left-field seats for homer No. 5 and the lead.

The O’s today faced righty Alek Manoah, who went 16-7 with a 2.24 ERA last year but entered this outing at 1-4 with a 5.40 ERA in 2023.

Manoah came into this game having allowed 1.800 WHIP, a 6.4 walk rate and 1.6 homer rate through nine starts. In three May starts he was 0-3 with a 6.59 ERA and .985 OPS against.

And the Orioles took the early lead against him.

After Manoah got a few generous strike calls to record a first-inning zero, Adam Frazier tripled off the starter leading off the O’s second. He lined what might have been a single to right, but George Springer’s diving attempt came up short and the ball got by him for three bases. One out later, O’Hearn lined a single to right field for his eighth RBI and the 1-0 lead.

The O’s lead doubled in the top of the third. With one out, Cedric Mullins lined a ball deep to right and doubled. Initially he did, but a replay review showed the ball actually left the park and bounced back onto the field. So Mullins picked up his seventh home run on an 0-1 changeup. He hit the ball 100 mph and it went 354 feet, just enough to expand the Baltimore lead.

Rodriguez pitched out of some trouble in the third and fourth innings and avoided trouble in the first when Mullins robbed Guerrero with a tremendous diving catch.

Rodriguez gave up a leadoff double in the third but stranded that runner and fanned Bichette for the third out on a 98.6 mph fastball. In the fourth inning, a one-out double by Chapman put runners on second and third. But Rodriguez got out of that by fielding a comebacker and getting a runner on the bases, and then getting his fifth strikeout on a 98 mph heater against Varsho.

But in the Blue Jays fifth, they got on the board with Springer’s two-run homer to left off Rodriguez, and the game was tied 2-2. Santiago Espinal singled to start the inning, and one out later Springer hit No. 6. It came on a 2-0 cutter that was over the outer half, but Springer yanked it out to left for the tie.

Rodriguez produced his fifth start of the year in which he's allowed fewer than three runs. He went five innings on 91 pitches, allowing four hits and two runs with one walk and six strikeouts. He has allowed three runs this year in 10 2/3 innings in two outings against AL East teams. This was a better start today for the rookie, and he put his team in a position to win a game.

“This was his best start for me," Hyde said. "Stuff-wise, I thought he was really good. A tough offensive team to face and pitch count got up. Just the one mistake to Springer. Loved his fastball usage and thought his fastball had a ton of life to it. I thought he grew today. Tough environment to pitch in, 41,000 here in Toronto, and to do what he did was a really good step for him."

Manoah allowed two runs, six hits over 5 2/3 innings on 85 pitches. And the Toronto bullpen got out of a jam to hold the lead in the seventh as right-hander Erik Swanson got Adley Rutschman on a deep fly out to center on an 0-1 splitter to strand two runners. Through the seventh inning today, the Orioles were 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

The Blue Jays got a pair of what they hoped would be insurance runs in the last of the seventh on Springer’s infield RBI single off Jorge Mateo’s glove and a pinch RBI single by Alejandro Kirk off Cole Irvin, pitching for the first time since his return to the roster on Tuesday. They stole three bases off Mike Baumann that inning, and Springer’s single with a man on third and one out expanded the lead to 4-2. And Kirk made it 5-2.