Orioles bats chilled again in 7-2 loss to Blue Jays (with quotes)

The Orioles defeated the weather tonight, with rain unable to interrupt their game. The forecast took a beating.

The Blue Jays were a much more stubborn foe.

Don't be fooled by the standings or the number of players making their major league debuts in this series.

Kevin Pillar broke a scoreless tie with a leadoff home run in the top of the fifth, and the Orioles couldn't generate much offense in a 7-2 loss to the Blue Jays before an announced crowd of 14,815 at Camden Yards.

After tallying eight runs Friday night, the Orioles managed only one in 13 innings last night - earning a walk-off win - and two tonight on Seth Smith's homer in the bottom of the eighth and Mark Trumbo's RBI single in the ninth. They've lost two of three games in the series and are 69-67.

Richard Rodriguez made his major league debut in the seventh inning and served up Josh Donaldson's three-run homer with two outs and the count full to give Toronto a 5-0 lead. Donaldson demolished a 94 mph fastball.

Darwin Barney hit a two-run homer off Alec Asher with two outs in the eighth, one of the runs charged to Rodriguez.

Top prospect Chance Sisco made his debut, catching Asher in the top of the ninth. He didn't bat.

Wade Miley registered his ninth quality start by limiting the Blue Jays to two runs over six innings, with four hits, two walks and six strikeouts. He retired 10 in a row after José Bautista's infield hit with two outs in the first, a streak that Pillar ended with his homer.

Jays starter Marcus Stroman left the game with two outs in the second inning after Trumbo's line drive slammed off his right elbow. Stroman collapsed to the ground and was writhing in pain.

It took several minutes for Stroman to get back on his feet. It appeared that he wanted to stay in the game, but acting manager DeMarlo Hale wouldn't allow it. Stroman untucked his shirt and walked to the dugout, accompanied by a nice ovation.

Hale was filling in for manager John Gibbons, who left the team due to "personal business," according to the Jays.

Left-hander Matt Dermody replaced Stroman and retired Welington Castillo to strand two runners.

Statcast clocked the exit velocity on Trumbo's liner at 107.5 mph. It's only cool when the ball disappears into the seats for a home run. It's potentially lethal when directed up the middle.

Luis Santos entered the game in the bottom of the fifth for his major league debut. The Jays have used 60 players this season, tied for second-most in major league history behind the 2014 Rangers (64).

Santos allowed one run on Smith's homer and two hits over 3 1/3 innings. Another successful debut for the Jays. Another win from a team buried in last place in the American League East.

Miley didn't allow a ball out of the infield until Kendrys Morales flied to right field to end the fourth. Pillar led off the fifth by lining an 0-2 pitch over the left field fence to give Toronto a 1-0 lead.

Miley threw two fastballs to get ahead and switched to his slider. The home run was only the second he gave up in five starts.

The Jays took a 2-0 lead in the sixth after loading the bases with no outs on a walk and two hits. Bautista struck out, but Steve Pearce scored on Morales' fly ball to right field.

Barney doubled on Rodriguez's first pitch in the seventh. Rodriguez hit Luke Maile with one out, Pearce flied to shallow center and Donaldson found the seats in left field for his 24th home run.

The Orioles won't have to play a doubleheader on Sunday. The weather cooperated.

Too bad the Jays didn't do the same.

Manager Buck Showalter on Miley: "Wade pitched well, Wade pitched well. I thought when he wiggled out of that jam in the sixth, it might be the difference in the ballgame right there. You like your chances 2-0, but we didn't put much together offensively all night. It's one of those, September baseball at its best where people are pitching that are good pitchers, good prospects, but there's a lot of unknown and you get ambushed this time of the year easily.

"It's just that time of the year with baseball with the way the rules are in September. But that didn't have anything to do with tonight. We just didn't swing the bats very well."

Showalter on whether the team was bound to struggle offensively: "No, I think ... I'll tell you, (Joe) Biagini (on Friday), that was as solid as you want to see a guy pitch. I thought Santos, we knew when we came in today, good stuff. A guy they're very high on and I think he has six or seven days off since his last start, so we knew he was going to be available. He's a good young prospect for them, but those type of guys - even though he's a crossfire guy - you can talk about it all you want and look at film and everything, but it's a different look in the box and by the time you start to make an adjustment, he's out of there."

Showalter on facing unknown pitchers: "I don't want it to come out as an excuse, but it's tough. And it's another thing that most who play the game don't like about this time of year. But it is what it is, and we're all playing under the same rules so you deal with it."

Showalter on Rodriguez: "OK. I think he has a chance to be a good relief pitcher up here in the major leagues. I do. He's got a good presentation, calm demeanor. I thought he was going to wiggle out of that inning. He just threw two good fastballs to get back into the count, then he threw the ball where you don't throw the ball, and he paid the price to a good hitter. But he'll only get better."

Smith on challenges tonight: "That can be tough, especially in September. You've got guys you've never seen before. But we should be able to adjust. Sometimes, it's tough."

Smith on struggles last two nights: "You'll run into games like this. I guess it's back-to-back nights. That's just kind of baseball and the way it goes sometimes, for whatever reason. But guys are still really good hitters."

Smith on how team can make playoffs: "I guess we'll have to win more games than the teams in front of us. I guess 2 1/2 more games than Minnesota. I don't know. That's really all it comes down to. There's no play this way or that way or whatever. We've got to win games, and at this point, it is all about winning more games than the teams that are trying to make the playoffs."

Smith on Stroman's exit: "It just changes the game. He's a really good pitcher, so you spend a good amount of time getting ready for that game and whenever he's out, it changes the dynamic. You know you're going to face probably two or three different guys the rest of the way, and in this case, it was a guy we haven't seen before and a guy we haven't seen much.

"It's a baseball game. We lost, and they scored more runs, and really, there's no more reason to look further into it."

Miley on his outing: "I thought it was pretty good. A mistake to Pillar right there, just not a good pitch there, 0-2. Limited the walks. Of those two I walked, the leadoff walk, obviously the leadoff walk scored in the sixth. I felt pretty good for the most part. I wasn't as crisp or as sharp, feeling-wise as I've been, but I was able battle through it and made some pretty decent pitches when I needed to."

Miley on whether weather was factor: "Not really. Their guy had to pitch in it, too. If anything, the moisture kind of keeps the ball sticky instead of kind of chalky and powdery. It's not too bad."

Miley on how he wants to finish the season: "I just want to go out there and give us a chance to win. Obviously, tonight I wasn't able to do that, but at the same time, just try to keep on moving forward, keep having positive starts. Like I said, the pitch to Pillar is a bad pitch there, make a better pitch there, maybe it stays 0-0. I'm just trying to keep it rolling."