Hyde on Sunday starter, Núñez, Hays leading off and Santander

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde has confirmed today that left-hander Keegan Akin will close out the season with Sunday's start against the Blue Jays in Buffalo.

Akin will be making his sixth major league start and eighth appearance.

The bullpen also could be active on Sunday.

"It's going to be Keegan Akin," Hyde said. "And maybe Johnny Wholestaff after."

Left-hander John Means gets the start Saturday night.

Hyde said Renato Núñez, out of the lineup again tonight with a sore knee, is a possibility for the weekend. Núñez hasn't been shut down.

"He's day-to-day," Hyde said. "His knee's still a little bit sore, but I'd expect there's a chance he could play the last two games. He should be available off the bench tonight."

Núñez is slashing .210/.279/.468 in 68 plate appearances this month.

Austin Hays has moved up to the leadoff spot for the first time since Aug. 1, the hottest bat at the top of the order. He's 16-for-40 (.400) with two doubles and three home runs in September after collecting three more hits last night.

"I like the way he's swinging the bat the last couple weeks," Hyde said. "He's using the whole field, he's driving the baseball a little bit. I think his at-bats have improved as he's gotten a little bit more comfortable. We started the year there with him and now we're kind of ending the year.

"And I want to see him get more at-bats. Hopefully get five at-bats a game. He can run, he can drive the ball out of the ballpark like he did last night and I think it's important for him to just continue to get these big league at-bats and hopefully get on base for the middle of the order guys."

Hays was 3-for-28 (.107) with eight strikeouts leading off before Hyde lowered him in the order.

The Orioles now have nine different players who have recorded at least 10 multi-hit games this season, the most in the majors.

Anthony Santander had 10 before straining an oblique muscle on Sept. 4 and missing the rest of the season. He was chosen as Most Valuable Oriole.

"Meant a lot," Hyde said. "Big void him not being in the lineup these last 20-plus games just because what he was for us offensively. Big-time run producer, great at-bats, loves to play, gamer, drives the ball out of the ballpark, gets huge hits for us, plays a really good right field. Love watching him play, and well deserved of the award just because he was having a Silver Slugger, All-Star type season.

"Looking forward to him getting healthy and being with us next spring."

"It's definitely been a long road, it's been a long journey," Santander said today via interpreter Ramón Alarcón. "I'm very thankful for this opportunity and very happy for this award. It is amazing to be here and to really know the results I was getting after so much work and so many sacrifices. It's been all worth it.

"I feel very happy for the teammates that I have. I'm blessed in that regard. I do believe that if we get along pretty well outside of the ballpark, we're going to get along pretty well also inside of the ballpark. I think it builds up chemistry and it builds up a good team environment. So just very blessed to have the teammates I have."

For the Blue Jays
Jonathan Villar 2B
Bo Bichette SS
Teoscar Hernández RF
Randal Grichuk CF
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. DH
Travis Shaw 1B
Jonathan Davis LF
Joe Panik 3B
Danny Jansen C

Taijuan Walker RHP