O's lose 3-2 in series finale at Rogers Centre (updated)

TORONTO - After scoring 21 runs in the last two games, a lack of offense tonight led to an Orioles loss, and they failed to win two straight series for the first time since the first week of the year.

In the rubber match at Rogers Centre, right-hander Jacob Waguespack blanked the Orioles over six innings and they lost 3-2 to the Blue Jays. The Orioles are 52-107 and heading to Boston for the final series of the year beginning Friday night.

With the loss, the Orioles are locked into pick No. 2 behind Detroit in the 2020 First-Year Player Draft.

Waguespack had allowed 12 runs and four homers in 13 innings over his past three starts, but he was pretty good tonight. He held the Orioles to four singles over six frames, improving to 5-5 with an ERA of 4.38. He began tonight with a home ERA of 5.96l, but fanned five and walked two in a 78-pitch game.

The Orioles had a few chances, but stranded two runners in the third and seventh. They finally broke through against relievers Jordan Romero and Wilmer Font in the eighth. They loaded the bases on singles by Austin Hays and Dwight Smith Jr. around a walk to Trey Mancini. A Rio Ruiz groundout made it 3-1 and bases-loaded walk to DJ Stewart cut the deficit to 3-2, as they avoided a ninth shutout. But Chris Davis flied to center with the bases loaded to end the threat.

The Blue Jays used two longballs to open an early lead. Billy McKinney led off the home first with a homer to right. He hit No. 12 on a 1-0 changeup and it was his first career leadoff homer. In the fourth, Rowdy Tellez led off the inning with his 20th homer to make it 2-0. Tellez hit Gabriel Ynoa's 0-2 down-and-in slider out to right field. It left the bat at 104 mph and the ball went 411 feet.

Making his 13th start, Ynoa falls to 1-10 with an ERA of 5.61. The Orioles are 1-12 in his starts. Tonight, over four innings, he gave up four hits and two runs with two walks and five strikeouts. Ynoa recorded a quality start last week against Toronto, but not tonight. He has allowed seven homers in 18 1/3 innings this year versus Toronto.

The lead grew to 3-0 in the last of sixth when Tellez homered again, this time off Paul Fry. He hit No. 21 to produce his third career multi-homer game.

The O's entered this game with a shot to win back-to-back series. That has not happened since the Orioles began this season going 4-2 at Yankee Stadium and Rogers Centre. Instead they lose two of three at Rogers Centre.

The Orioles did not homer tonight, ending a streak of 18 straight games with at least one home run. That comes up two short of the club record 20 games in a row set in 1998. The Orioles hit 31 homers in those 18 games.

The Orioles are now 27-51 on the road and 22-51 versus the American League East, and they end the year going 8-11 against Toronto and 5-4 at Rogers Centre. They take tomorrow off and open the final series Friday night at Fenway Park.

Postgame quotes:

Manager Brandon Hyde on Ynoa's outing: "He got through the order twice. Thought he did a nice job without feeling great going into the game. He kept it right there for us. Was just a great baseball game, we lost 3-2 and had a chance to tie or take the lead late and just didn't quite break through. Once again, the homer beats us."

Hyde on Waguespack: "I thought he pitched really well. He elevates his fastball, it's kind of a sneaky fastball at the top of the zone. He's got some nice off-speed with it and throws strikes. Did a nice job of changing eye levels on us. We had our chances late in the game and couldn't quite get the big hit."

Ynoa on his night through interpreter Ramón Alarcón: "I think it (went) well. I didn't go as long as I wanted, but I thought I threw well. I should have made better pitches (on the homers). I was ahead and should have executed better. They were right in the middle of the zone and they took advantage of that."

Ynoa on Hyde saying he wasn't feeling well: "It's normal. Just one of those days where maybe you don't feel 100 percent. You just let them know, but you go out and try to do your best."

Mancini on the season as a whole with so much losing: "It certainly hasn't been fun. But you have to look for little things throughout the season, especially now in September. I think there have been some really good bright spots, so you look forward to that moving on into next year. So looking forward to this group sticking together and getting things rolling in spring training."

Mancini on Boston series: "We have three games left, so we will play like we have every other game and leave it out on the field, win or lose. You can't really have any other mindset then that at this level or it's probably not going to go well for you."