Baumann surrenders three runs in 10th in Orioles' 6-3 loss to Blue Jays (updated)

First baseman Ryan Mountcastle made a diving catch and slapped his mitt on the bag, almost in one smooth motion. A double play with style points that kept the deficit at one run. A moment that the 2023 Orioles tend to use as a springboard to a comeback.

The Blue Jays scored again to stretch the lead. They handed reliever Mike Baumann his first loss in the 10th inning.

It doesn’t always work.

Jordan Westburg roped a game-tying double down the left field line off reliever Yimi García in the bottom of the fifth inning, but the Orioles stranded two in the ninth and Brandon Belt hit a first-pitch homer off Baumann in the Blue Jays’ 6-3 victory before an announced crowd of 20,612 at Camden Yards.

The Orioles (77-48) had a chance to rise more than 30 games above .500 for the first time since Sept. 25, 2014. They’re 27-14 in series openers, and 8-3 against the Jays.

The Rays won tonight to move with two games of first place in the division race.

Ryan McKenna led off the ninth with an infield single against left-hander Tim Mayza. Anthony Santander was on deck, but Jorge Mateo stayed in the game in a bunt situation, fell behind 1-2 and popped up in foul territory. Shortstop Bo Bichette made a diving stop and throw to retire Adley Rutschman, Mountcastle was given an intentional walk to extend his on-base streak to 27 games, and Gunnar Henderson grounded out.

Belt hit a 96.6 mph fastball from Baumann an estimated 417 feet with Bichette on second base as the automatic runner. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. doubled, and he scored with two outs on a wild pitch.

Baumann won his first nine decisions.

"Belt's been a really, really good hitter for a long time," said manager Brandon Hyde. "He was looking for a fastball out over the plate, obviously, and got every bit of it. We had our opportunities before that and didn't quite get it done."

The Orioles went three full innings without a hit until McKenna's single.

"You look at their bullpen, this is an excellent, excellent bullpen," Hyde said. "They're tough to score on. They've been tough to score on for everybody, and they were really good tonight."

Grayson Rodriguez turned in his fourth quality start in five outings, riding some rough waves early and completing the sixth in 94 pitches. He allowed three runs and eight hits, with two walks and five strikeouts.

"Six innings without his best stuff or his best command, so really happy about that," Hyde said. "Figuring things out. Didn't have his slider tonight. Threw some decent curveballs but didn't really have his slider, so really relied on fastballs. The changeup was pretty good. And the way he gutted through six innings and only giving up three runs."

Unable to exceed five innings in 10 of his first 11 starts, Rodriguez has reached 5 2/3 or more in his last six.

Cionel Pérez stranded an inherited runner with two outs in the seventh to give Jacob Webb eight scoreless appearances since the Orioles claimed him on waivers from the Angels. Yennier Cano stranded two in the eighth, pushed a little further after a strikeout/passed ball with two outs.

Félix Bautista got the ninth and retired the Jays in order, only the fourth time this season he didn’t record a strikeout, and the first in a clean inning. He threw nine pitches but didn't return for the 10th, keeping him available Wednesday night.

"I'm tempted on the road," Hyde said. "I think it's really tough at home. He's one of the only guys in the league who ever does that, and it's been on the road. We score, I sent him back out if the pitch count's manageable, but a tie game at home and I lose him for the series if he pitches again. And I need him for the next 30-something games, too."

Rodriguez threw 11 straight fastballs to begin his outing, allowing an infield single to Bichette and walking Belt. The 12^th pitch, a slider to Guerrero, resulted in a double play.

George Springer drew a leadoff walk in the second and Daulton Varsho homered on a two-strike fastball clocked at 97.6 mph. Matt Chapman reached on an infield hit and raced to third base on Danny Jansen’s single. But Mountcastle snared Kevin Kiermaier’s liner and tagged the bag, and Whit Merrifield grounded out.

Mountcastle settled for making the Jays miserable with the mitt. He went 0-for-4 tonight with three strikeouts after collecting 11 hits in 13 at-bats in the four-game series in Toronto – the usual thrashings that he dispenses.

Rodriguez got two outs in the fourth and Kiermaier doubled into right-center field to score Matt Chapman for a 3-1 lead. The rookie retired seven of the next eight batters, striking out Chapman and Jansen to end his start.

"Anytime you get through six, it helps the bullpen out," Rodriguez said. "Struggled there early, so really just taking it inning by inning. Trying to get the most out of it."

The Jays are the first team that Rodriguez has faced three times.

"That's a good club over there, really solid lineup," he said. "They've got some guys who can swing it. Obviously, they showed that tonight. Third time seeing them, you kind of know the hitters, but at the same time they'll keep you on your toes."

Austin Hays doubled off left-hander Yusei Kikuchi with two outs in the first to score Henderson, who singled and stole second base. A two-game cycle for Henderson.

The Orioles were 46-12 when scoring first this season.

Westburg and James McCann singled with one out in the fourth inning and were stranded. Mateo and Rutschman singled in the fifth and executed a double steal as Henderson struck out, and Jansen’s throw skipped into center field to cut the lead to 3-2.

Hays walked, García entered, and Westburg lined a 98 mph fastball to left.

McCann, who extended his hitting streak to nine straight, stayed in the game after García’s 98 mph heater smashed off his left hand to load the bases, before Cedric Mullins flied out on the next pitch. McCann collapsed face-down in the dirt, but got up and walked to first base with Hyde and head athletic trainer Brian Ebel.

Catcher Maverick Handley joined the team earlier today for the taxi squad, but McCann appeared to dodge a serious injury. He lost his grip on the bat on an eighth-inning swing and took an awkward partial swing on a strikeout.

"It's like twice in almost the same spot," Hyde said. "He had a big bruise right away where it hit him. McCann's a tough guy."

* Mountcastle’s on-base streak is the longest by an Oriole since Nick Markakis reached 38 in 2009.

* Triple-A Norfolk’s Cade Povich carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning before Durham’s Austin Shenton hit a solo home run with one out. Povich allowed one run and one hit with five walks and seven strikeouts in six frames.

Left-hander Danny Coulombe joined the Tides on his rehab assignment and tossed a scoreless seventh inning with two strikeouts. He’s eligible to be reinstated from the injured list on Thursday.

Lewin Díaz hit his 14^th home run. Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers had two-run singles in the seventh.

Max Wagner hit his second home run with Double-A Bowie, a two-run shot. Donta’ Williams and Jackson Holliday had RBI doubles, and Dylan Beavers contributed a single and double.

The Baysox shut out Eric 5-0, with Connor Gillispie working the first five innings.

High-A Aberdeen’s Kyle Virbitsky tossed seven scoreless innings with one hit allowed. Ryan Higgins singled, doubled and drove in two runs.

Single-A Delmarva’s Stiven Acevedo had four hits, including his 10^th homer, and drove in four runs. Juan Rojas threw five scoreless innings.