Game played on field ends differently than paper version (quotes)

A mismatch on paper. A no-brainer that the Orioles had no chance tonight with the Blue Jays starting left-hander J.A. Happ and the home team sending out Ubaldo Jimenez.

Baseball is a funny game. For six innings, the Orioles had more than a chance. They also had a two-run lead.

It disappeared with one out in the seventh on Michael Saunders' two-run shot to right field after Russell Martin's leadoff single. Back to reality.

It reappeared in the eighth on Matt Wieters' two-run shot off Jason Grilli that followed Jonathan Schoop's walk.

Zach Britton stranded a runner in the ninth and the Orioles evened the series with a 5-3 win over the Jays before 16,083 at Camden Yards.

Second day of school? OK, never mind.

The Orioles (72-60) trail the Jays by three games in the American League East. They really needed this one.

Britton is 39-for-39 in save opportunities. Brad Brach tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the win and improve to 8-2.

Steve Pearce and Manny Machado homered in the fifth, the latter's two-run shot producing a 3-1 lead. Machado had 100 career home runs, the news on the scoreboard leading to a standing ovation.

According to STATS, Machado is the youngest Oriole to reach 100 home runs at 24 years and 55 days. Eddie Murray was 24 years and 177 days in 1980.

Also, Machado is the third-fastest Oriole to reach 100 home runs by doing it in 578 games.

Jimenez walked two batters in the first inning and ran his pitch count to 37 after the second, when the Blue Jays took a 1-0 lead on Michael Saunders' double and Kevin Pillar's two-out bloop RBI single into center field.

Jimenez proceeded to retire eight in a row and 12 of 13 before Martin's leadoff single in the seventh, an inning that began with Jimenez at 89 pitches and nobody stirring in the bullpen.

Brach began to warm and entered with two outs after Saunder's knotted the score.

Jimenez allowed three runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings, with two walks, three strikeouts and the home run. He threw 101 pitches, 63 for strikes.

Happ also didn't factor into the decision after allowing three runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings, with two walks, three strikeouts and two home runs. He threw 102 pitches, 60 for strikes.

In his last three starts, Jimenez has allowed five earned runs over 17 2/3 innings. This includes the outing in Minnesota back on July 28.

Grilli retired the first two batters in the eighth, striking out Chris Davis, but a two-out walk can come back to bite you hard. Wieters really made it hurt with his 12th home run.

Pinch-hitter Darwin Barney singled off Britton with two outs in the ninth, but Melvin Upton Jr. bounced out.

The Orioles stranded five runners in the first four innings before finally getting to Happ, the 17-game winner and Cy Young candidate.

Pearce's game-tying shot in the fifth made him 10-for-28 with two doubles, five home runs and 12 RBIs lifetime versus Happ. Pedro Alvarez, batting second for only the third time in his career, doubled, singled and walked in his first three plate appearances.

Update: Machado, Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo have at least 10 home runs in August. According to ESPN Stats & Info, this is the first time in club history that three players hit at least 10 homers in one month.

Here's a sampling from manager Buck Showalter:

On Jimenez "Real good. He's had two good outings in a row in a time of need. Real proud of him. He was solid. He had a lot of pitches could have gone his way, a lot of borderline pitches. He was down in the zone almost the whole game. The one he got up was the home run to Saunders. But he was solid. You can say a lot of different things about things that happened in the game, but none of it means anything if we don't get that type of start from him."

On whether it's a big win "If you look at who you're playing and who you're chasing and how many games are left, sure. I'm not going to deny that storyline. But it's still another ... It's a part of the journey and a part of the challenge that you face trying to do what we're trying to do."

On Machado's 100^th home run: "I don't ever take it for granted, what he's doing. He spoils us with a great level of play and unfortunately sometimes I think we're all guilty of it. When he makes some of the plays that he makes that nobody else makes and he does some of the things offensively that very few people do, all of a sudden if he doesn't do it every time, he almost spoils you with the level of play. But it's so hard to do what he does and I don't ever take that for granted, what he's doing at a young age and whether it's an old age.

"He's been very durable. He posts up and he likes to play baseball and he likes to play with his teammates. He had a big blow for us tonight."

On Wieters: "What doesn't surprise me and it's a little thing. Matt took a ball right in the kisser tonight and I've seen a lot of people come out of the game. We would have taken him out of the game, mostly because he took one in the same place last night. To turn around and ...

"I was talking to John (Russell) today. He goes out and catches the pitcher who's starting. He's on the field at 6:15. He's catching 100-plus ballgames. And sometimes I'm amazed that catchers are able to do anything offensively with the challenge that the game presents physically behind the plate. He blocks balls, he's always there for us. We appreciate him every day, anybody who catches, but especially the number of games Matt's caught for us.

"He's been a rock. Regardless of whether he hit a home run to win a ballgame or not. This guy came off elbow surgery and now he's catching almost every day. I thought about it at the time. Getting hit like that is tough. I went in right after he came in to make sure he was OK. And Richie (Bancells), he watches him like a hawk. Have you seen the replay of it? That's the kind of one that goes straight down. That's tough. See how he is tomorrow. "

On Jimenez coming up big versus Max Scherzer and Happ: "He's had some good stretches for us and we're hoping this is one of those. We're going to need it. He's a great teammate, everybody pulls for him. This guy never makes an excuse, he never shirks. He's one of our best-conditioned guys. He likes to contribute.

"It's been really frustrating for him at times, but he's done some really good things for us. And he showed us one of them tonight."

On whether Brach's eight wins due to right place right time or being good: "Most of it is because he's good. And most of it is we like him in there with the game on the line. I didn't want to use (Mychal) Givens tonight. We really had Brad and Zach and (Vance) Worley long, and (Oliver) Drake was there, and (Donnie) Hart.

"It's so hard to be consistently contributing and being there for us as Brad and Zach have been all year. Nothing about the ninth inning is ho-hum, either. This is a very good ball club over there and you've got to keep your foot on them when you've got them down."