The pitch count didn't present an issue tonight for Matt Harvey. No inning so taxing that he became fatigued by the midpoint, which happened again in his last start.
Harvey made it through the fifth inning for the first time in his last 10 starts, though two solo homers put him behind twice, letdowns that have been deadly with the Orioles unable to siphon runs out of a game.
The offense wasn't on mute tonight, rare noise coming from a four-run eighth that created a tie. Harvey wouldn't suffer another loss, instead settling for an encouraging no-decision.
The Orioles also got the reprieve. They defeated the Blue Jays 6-5 in Buffalo after Trent Thornton walked three batters in the 10th inning, including Pat Valaika with the bases loaded, two outs and the count full.
Dillon Tate allowed two runs in the seventh inning, with catcher Pedro Severino committing his seventh passed ball of the season, but Ryan Mountcastle had an RBI single off Tyler Chatwood in the eighth and pinch-hitter Anthony Santander singled off Tayler Saucedo to cut further into the lead. They scored on Austin Hays double for a 5-5 tie.
Santander and Maikel Franco walked in the 10th and Valaika did the same after right fielder Randal Grichuck dropped his fly ball in foul territory. Cole Sulser walked Bo Bichette to begin the bottom half, induced a double play from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and struck out Teoscar Hernández, and the road losing streak ended at 20 games.
The Orioles are 24-52 after winning for the second time in 16 games.
Music was blaring inside the visiting clubhouse, so loud that manager Brandon Hyde couldn't hear the first question and hit the pause button on the Zoom session.
"We're partying like we won a wild card game here and rightfully so. We haven't had much to celebrate lately," Hyde said.
"These guys, they've been busting it and it's been really, really hard. There's no doubt about it. And this is one of 162, but everybody knew that we're losing a ton of games on the road and having a really tough couple months, and for us to win in that kind of fashion, it means a lot to our guys. It's fun to see smiles on their faces again.
"I just like to see things pay off. Great guys. They show up to play. They've got great attitudes. So you'd like to see them have some success. From the coaches to the trainers, we're grinding through this right now and this has been very, very hard. To shake hands and hear guys having a good time right now, that's a great feeling."
Who was in charge of the tunes?
"DJ Galvis," Hyde said. "And rightfully so."
The scoreless innings streak grew to 26 before Severino reached on Bichette's throwing error in the third, moved up on Cedric Mullins' single and came home on a double play grounder from Freddy Galvis.
Mullins had two hits, including a double in the ninth. He reached third base with two outs, but Trey Mancini chased a Jordan Romano slider that was outside the zone for his fourth strikeout. Mancini is in a 4-for-34 slump, including his two-homer game on Sunday.
Blue Jays rookie Alek Manoah allowed an unearned run and four hits in six innings, striking out six batters. He didn't drill anyone and cause benches and bullpens to empty. Everyone remained calm - the Orioles' offense a little too much while he was in the game.
Hyde needed a starter to work deeper to avoid emptying his bullpen and forcing more roster moves.
Harvey was removed with two outs in the sixth and a runner on base, which Tate stranded. He hadn't gotten through the fifth since May 1, also his last win.
A chance to complete the sixth for the second time this season, the other on April 26, expired at 92 pitches with the Orioles losing 3-1. Harvey allowed six hits, walked one and struck out two.
"He gave up the two solo home runs and that was really it," Hyde said. "Especially how his start went last time, where he had four really good innings and just the wheels fell off there in the fifth in a short bullpen day, which was unfortunate. But today, to be able to get into the sixth inning, keep the stuff that he had ... Only punched out two, but he was making quality pitches. This is a very difficult lineup and big smile on his face right now, too."
Alexander Wells and Konner Wade didn't make their major league debuts, though the latter warmed in the eighth before the rally. They're vying to become the 42nd player used by the Orioles this season.
Long relief options were necessary after Dean Kremer lasted only one-third of an inning last night, but Harvey offered some length.
"I don't know if you can hear the music or not but we're pretty excited, getting the monkey off our back. It was a great team win and a great comeback and everybody contributed," Mullins said.
"We're just trying to keep our morale up during times like this. We know we have a talented group of guys and it's just a matter of putting everything together, and we were able to do a little bit of everything today and come out with a win."
Harvey threw 13 pitches in the first after needing 29 to get through the inning in his previous start and tiring by the fifth. But George Springer ran the count full leading off the second and carried an 89 mph slider over the center field fence, the 417-footer giving Toronto a 1-0 lead.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. broke a 1-1 tie in the third inning with his 25th home run, which came after Harvey retired the first two batters. Harvey fed Guerrero a 95 mph fastball with his first pitch and didn't get a chance to throw a second.
Grichuk tripled with two outs in the fourth, the ball bouncing past Hays in right field, and he scored on Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s infield hit. More bad luck for Harvey. Grichuk's ball should have been a double. Franco was playing deep at third, charged Gurriel's grounder in the rain and couldn't make the transfer from glove to hand. The play initially was ruled an error.
The wet field and lack of familiarity with Sahlen Field didn't do Hays any favors, either, as he lost his footing.
Harvey was at 72 pitches after stranding Gurriel and 79 after retiring the side in order in the fifth.
"I was able to locate pitches in pretty well, up and down on the inside rail," Harvey said. "I was able to kind of limit the damage and pitch inside, get some ground balls. The guys made some unbelievable plays behind me. Sevie called a great game. I don't think I shook him off hardly at all and it was an unbelievable team win for us, something we really needed."
Marcus Semien lined a two-run double into the left field corner in the seventh for a 5-1 lead. Tate gave up three hits in the inning before striking out Guerrero and Hernández, and Severino had his mitt turned the wrong way on the passed ball.
The Orioles put two runners on base in the first inning, with Mountcastle drawing his third walk in the series and fourth this month, but DJ Stewart struck out with the count full. Mountcastle has 11 walks in 70 games, matching his total last summer in 35.
Mountcastle and Stewart singled with two outs in the sixth, but Hays struck out on three straight sliders, the last outside the zone.
Stewart was 5-for-36 in his last 10 games with an at-bat.
Chatwood walked Mullins and Galvis to begin the eighth, Mountcastle produced his second hit of the ninth, Santander delivered off the bench and Hays leveled the game. An uprising that was long overdue.
"It was electric," Mullins said. "Hays came up big in that situation for us. I know he's had some struggles, but he's working his tail off to get his swing back where he wants it to be and it showed today."
"We haven't had those types of innings very much," Hyde said.
"For me, the Pat Valaika AB there in the 10th was just absolutely phenomenal - 3-2, couple foul balls and then takes a slider down and away to buy us a run right there. So big at-bat by Pat there in the 10th also. I'm going to keep promoting walks. We need to walk more."
Tanner Scott struck out two in the eighth while retiring the side in order. Fry had a strikeout while retiring all three batters in the ninth.
"I'm definitely enjoying a nice Coors Light in a different way than we have in the last couple starts," Harvey said. "Winning major league games are a lot of fun and especially where we've been at on the road the last 20 games. It's been frustrating, so we'll definitely remember what winning's like again and get back out there tomorrow and try to keep that streak going."
Notes: Triple-A Norfolk's Kyle Bradish allowed two runs and three hits tonight in five innings, with three walks and 10 strikeouts. Ryan McKenna, Yusniel Diaz and Ramón UrÃas homered.
Shawn Armstrong tossed a scoreless inning with a walk and strikeout.
Mike Baumann had a rough night with Double-A Bowie, allowing six earned runs (seven total) with three hits and three walks in 2 1/3 innings. He surrendered two home runs, including a grand slam from New Hampshire shortstop Jordan Groshans.
Toby Welk hit his first Double-A home run.
Single-A Aberdeen's Drew Rom allowed one run and five hits in six innings, walking one and striking out seven.
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