Cortes: "I wasn't making them hit my pitch" (O's lose 9-3)

SARASOTA, Fla. - Lacking a fastball that pops a catcher's mitt and pokes holes in bats, Nestor Cortes Jr. has to be extremely fine with his pitches. He has to hit his target, change speeds and arm angles, and rely on deception and a pitching IQ that's enabled him to win at various levels of the minors.

Cortes didn't miss many bats this afternoon and his quest to win the fifth starter's job took a hit.

The Orioles aren't done auditioning the first of their three Rule 5 picks, but Cortes disappointed today with three runs and six hits allowed over three innings. He didn't walk a batter for the third consecutive start, and he struck out one. Darren O'Day replaced him after 53 pitches, 34 for strikes.

"I feel like I was leaving too many pitches over the plate," Cortes said. "I wasn't making them hit my pitch. Just wasn't crisp enough."

The Blue Jays tallied a run in each of the three innings, and a diving stop in left field by Anthony Santander as he raced toward the line ended the third and prevented Cortes from further work.

Jason Leblebijian produced an RBI double with two outs in the first after seeing pitches clocked at 69, 88 and 72 mph on the stadium gun. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. led off the second with a single and scored with two outs on Jonathan Davis' infield hit. Anthony Alford led off the third with a triple to the base of the right field fence, and he came home on Lourdes Gurriel's single into center field.

Manny Machado started a 6-4-3 double play and Santander made his sensational grab - he continues to impress - and the Orioles trailed 3-1.

"I wasn't making them hit my pitch and I think that's what hurt me today," Cortes said. "Too many pitches left over the plate and too many strikes.

"Down in the zone. I think I left too many pitches in the zone and I felt like they felt comfortable standing on the plate, and I just need to make them chase my pitch."

Cortes has allowed five runs and 11 hits in seven innings over his three outings. No one is running away with the fifth starter job, but Cortes may have fallen a step behind Mike Wright. Maybe two. He isn't counting.

"I think this start, it's going to happen," he said. "I've just got to find a way how to bounce back and make the best of it."

The wind and temperatures in the low 60s - a chilly day for Florida - didn't serve as an excuse.

"No, I think it was just one of those days," Cortes said. "Weather is going to be, whether it's warm or whether it's cold, there's no factor in it. It just wasn't there today. I felt like I wasn't crisp enough, like I said earlier."

O'Day retired the side in order in the fourth, but the Jays scored twice off Mychal Givens in the fifth, one run unearned after Tim Beckham's fielding error, to increase their lead to 5-1.

Adam Jones had an RBI single in the first inning after Colby Rasmus drew a leadoff walk and hustled to second base on Trey Mancini's fly ball to right-center field. Santander had a chance to drive in a run in the second, but Davis made a diving catch in center field and doubled off Pedro Álvarez at third base. Álvarez crossed the plate as the ball came back to the infield.

Chance Sisco was credited with a double in the inning on a pop up that fell near the left field line as third baseman Gift Ngoepe overran it. The ultimate gift double.

Update: Tim Melville was charged with two runs in the seventh, the second scoring after Ryan Meisinger inherited a bases-loaded, one-out jam, and the Orioles trail 7-1.

Update II: Asher Wojciechowski allowed a run in the eighth and it's 8-1 for anyone who cares.

Update III: J.D. Davis hit a double to drive in Vladimir Guererro Jr. in the top of the ninth. Andrew Susac's two-run homer accounted for the only scoring in the home half. Orioles lose 9-3.