Gallardo and Givens on their outings, Trumbo and Showalter on loss

TORONTO - The Orioles will have to wait another day for their next shot to pick up a win at Rogers Centre. They've now lost five in a row in this ballpark and the first two games of this series after today's 9-1 defeat.

The result produced a change in the standings as the Blue Jays (59-45) moved a half-game ahead of the Orioles (58-45) atop the American League East. The Blue Jays are in first for the first time since they were 2-0. They've won 16 of their last 22 games and are 15-5 in their past 20 AL East games.

Meanwhile, the Orioles have tied their season high with a five-game losing streak, their second in a month. The Orioles are 1-5 this year at Rogers Centre and have allowed 45 runs in those games. O's starting pitchers have an ERA of 9.85 this season in this ballpark.

Today started out well. Pedro Alvarez hit a second-inning homer on an 0-2 pitch from J.A. Happ and the Orioles took that 1-0 lead to the last of the fifth. Right-hander Yovani Gallardo had pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the first but didn't survive the fifth.

Devon Travis lined a one-out homer to left to tie it. Then Gallardo walked back-to-back batters, allowed an RBI double and intentional walk, and was out of the game with Toronto leading 2-1. Mychal Givens came on and it quickly turned into a 7-1 Toronto lead. He allowed a bases-loaded walk and two-run doubles to Russell Martin and Kevin Pillar.

Toronto batted 11 hitters in a seven-run inning with four hits and four walks. It was one run shy of their biggest inning of the year and afterward Gallardo was left to explain how it got away from him and the Orioles today.

"Fastball away that came back over the plate a little bit too much (on the homer)," Gallardo said. "After that, I thought I made some pretty good pitches to (Jose) Bautista, 3-1 changeup and 3-2 fastball were identical. I made a good pitch when I had to, it just unfortunately didn't go my way. After that, I just kind of let things get in my head a little bit.

"My command (was the issue) more than anything, falling behind guys in that situation. I just wasn't able to get ahead of guys, got a little bit away from the game plan I had a little that inning. Had a battle with my command there even since the first inning. Just the walks, the walks. A couple pitches that didn't go my way and I found myself in a hole."

Givens talked about letting three inherited runners score, plus two more of his own and trying to put this brutal outing behind him.

"I just didn't make quality pitches and they just hit it where it was at," he said. "I just didn't get (them) over like I usually was and didn't make the quality pitch. I don't really ... the past is the past. I don't sit there and just think about the past. Just go out there and look forward for the future and try to get better each day."

While the O's pitchers allowed nine runs this afternoon, the offense produced just one on five hits. The Orioles have scored 12 runs during their five consecutive losses and just 44 (2.75 per game) while going 7-9 since the All-Star break.

"That was the best effort we could muster up and it wasn't much," outfielder Mark Trumbo said. "So we have to come back tomorrow and try to get one of these games and keep it moving. Think they've just played a little bit better than us here. Try not to look for any reasons beyond they just executed a little bit better."

Here are some of manager Buck Showalter's postgame comments:

On Gallardo: "He didn't have command of his cutter today. That was a challenge for him. You know, he was very close to getting out of that inning. He wiggled his way out of trouble (earlier). It's a tough lineup. They're in a good place right now and we will (be) again, but most of the game was Happ. That's why they've pitched the most innings of any starters in baseball in both leagues, which is unusual. That's been a strength for them and it showed itself again today."

On Givens: "He had a flat breaking ball. He's been a little inconsistent with it when he's gotten into trouble. He's pitched some quality innings for us and he's capable of a strikeout there. It's part of the game. They're a good offensive team. They make you pay for your mistakes. I think both balls he got hurt with were breaking balls."

On Toronto's pitching being the difference today: "Usually, that's what it is. Everything's about pitching here at this level. They catch the ball well. They're a good team. We're a good team. We'll put it behind us and go out there tomorrow. They're a good starting pitching team. They've got good people in the bullpen. That's why they and Boston and us are where we are, so you've got to trust your players and just don't throw everybody under the bus because you've had a tough couple of games."