Grayson Rodriguez scratched from start in Toronto and Albert Suárez starts (O's lose 5-2)

TORONTO – The Orioles' new-look rotation, which recently added righty Zach Eflin and lefty Trevor Rogers via trade, has lost another player tonight.

Just minutes before first pitch of the series-opener at Rogers Centre between the Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays, the team announced that right-hander Grayson Rodriguez was scratched from tonight’s start and that Albert Suárez would pitch for the Orioles.

The MASN cameras caught an interaction in the outfield not long before first pitch when Rodriguez was seen with pitching coach Drew French and appeared to be saying, "I don't feel right."

Despite five strong innings from emergency starter Albert Suárez, the Orioles dropped the opener of a series against the Blue Jays, 5-2.

Rodriguez spent time on the injured list from May 1 through May 17 with right shoulder inflammation and missed about three starts. He returned to pitch on May 18 and hurled six-innings of scoreless, one-hit ball in Baltimore against Seattle.

For the year he is 13-4 with a 3.86 ERA in 20 starts covering 116 2/3 innings. Rodriguez allowed four runs (three earned) over six innings in his last start, which was also versus Toronto last Wednesday in Baltimore. Rodriguez began tonight tied for the MLB lead in wins. 

The Orioles already have five pitchers on the injured list, including starters John Means and Kyle Bradish. Tyler Wells, a starter in the past, went on the IL in mid-April, lefty reliever Danny Coulombe on June 11 and closer Félix Bautista has been out all season.

Rodriguez was seen heading out to the bullpen to start his warmup tosses several minutes before game time. And it was later announced he was scratched.

Suárez (5-4, 3.89 ERA) will be making his 23^rd appearance and 15^th start of the year. His last start was July 28 versus San Diego when he allowed three runs over 4 2/3 innings.

O's update on Rodriguez: The Orioles announced tonight mid-game that Rodriguez was scratched with right lat/teres discomfort.

O's get the lead: Jackson Holliday's solo homer to right-center in the top of the sixth broke the 0-0 tie as the O's took a 1-0 lead on the Blue Jays. The Orioles began this game going 0-for-15 off right-hander Chris Bassitt until Holliday connected. He hit 1-1 cutter 410 feet for his third homer, all coming in the last six games since his return to the majors.

Meanwhile Suarez gave the Orioles some emergency start tonight. He allowed just singles in five scoreless innings on 73 pitches. He walked two and fanned six. 

Suarez retired the side with two strikeouts in the Toronto first. He stranded two runners in the second and pitched around a two-out single in the fourth. Ernie Clement and Alejandro Kirk had the only hits off Suarez.

He was replaced by right-hander Burch Smith in the Toronto sixth.  

And a McCann update: The O's announced tonight that catcher James McCann underwent a successful nasal reduction realignment procedure yesterday with Dr. Katherine Day in Baltimore.

Lead lost: The O's brief 1-0 lead was indeed brief. Smith got the first two outs in the Toronto sixth and then allowed a single. Then the O's went for lefty Gregory Soto. 

He had another bad outing.

He gave up a single and then a three-run homer to left to Alejandro Kirk for a 3-1 Toronto lead on his third longball this year. A double, intentional walk and two-run double by Addison Barger followed for a 5-1 lead.

Soto was charged with four runs in 1/3 of an inning.

In three O's appearances he has thrown 1 1/3 innings, allowing nine hits and eight runs. 

O's get closer but leave bases loaded: The Orioles added a run in the eighth to trail 5-2. The first three reached off Chris Bassitt with a walk and two singles, and reliever Génesis Cabrera came on. Austin Slater pinch-hit for Holliday and walked to make it 5-2. But Cabrera fanned Ramón Urías and Coby Mayo, who pinch-hit for Colton Cowser and Anthony Santander grounded out.

Cowser went 0-for-3 as his hitting streak was snapped at 17 games.

Final was 5-2: Jays reliever Chad Green collected a save, retiring the Orioles in order in the ninth inning.

The Orioles lost 5-2 to fall to 67-47. They trail the Yankees by a half-game atop the American League East. For the first time since June 26 they are not either alone in first or share first place.

Hyde postgame on Rodriguez: The O's right-hander is headed back to Baltimore for further testing, evaluation and imaging. The O's don't yet know how long he will be out.

“He’s going to go back to Baltimore," manager Brandon Hyde said. "He’s going to continue to get evaluated, so that’s kind of all we know right now. He had some lat discomfort warming up. It was about 10 minutes before the game and Suárez, we rushed him down to the bullpen to start the game. Hope everything works out OK.

“This was all new. He had a little bit of shoulder soreness early in the year. Gave him some time off. He’s been feeling fine. Threw a really good bullpen in Cleveland and it came up (the issue) tonight."

Hyde on pinch-hitting for hot hitters Holliday and Cowser in the eighth: “We went with Austin (Slater), who's been really good against lefties this year. He worked a huge walk. And just took a shot with Mayo there with the bases loaded and it didn’t work out.”

Hyde on Holliday's homer: “That was a big swing for us. We really didn’t do much against Bassitt all night. He kept us off balance. Mixed speeds extremely well. Pitched differently than he did against us a handful of days ago. So give him credit. We did nothing until the eighth inning.”

Suárez on getting ready quickly: “For me, I just get my mind always ready for this type of situation. When you are the long reliever in the bullpen, you don’t want this to happen but sometimes it happens. In my mind, I’m always ready to be out there.

“For me, just whatever it takes to help the team, that’s what I’m here for. I’m always going to be ready for the team out there.”

Soto on what went wrong tonight (with interpreter Brandon Quinones)?: “I was missing with my slider. My breaking pitches today, wasn’t really able to command it. And I paid the price for that.”

Soto on his tough first few games with the team: “It’s been difficult, but having my teammates' support has been huge. They brought me here for a reason, I know that. And so, having their support means a lot and I know with that I’ll get through it.”

Soto on his slider not being good tonight, do you go to another pitch?: “Today he kept calling sliders and him showing confidence in that pitch. He wanted it low and down in the zone. Unfortunately, I missed, and that’s on me. But, yeah, he kept showing confidence in the pitch. Depends how the outing is going.”