O's offense quieted, loss to Jays drops them four games out

On the first night of a critical series with American League East leader Toronto, the Orioles got a strong starting pitching performance, but their offense was quieted by Blue Jays right-hander Marco Estrada.

Estrada allowed just four hits and a run in seven-plus innings as Toronto beat the Orioles 5-1 in front of 15,532 at Camden Yards. The Orioles (71-60) fall four games behind the first-place Blue Jays with two games to go in the series.

Estrada outdueled Orioles left-hander Wade Miley as Toronto (75-56) improved to a season-high 19 games over .500 with its 10th win in 15 games. Estrada, now 8-6 with an ERA of 3.37, walked one and fanned four, throwing 100 pitches.

The Orioles grabbed a 1-0 lead in the last of the third on J.J. Hardy's homer to left. He hit No. 8 on a 2-2 changeup from Estrada. Hardy had been 2-for-26 over his previous eight games.

The lead didn't last long as Toronto scored twice in the fourth to go ahead 2-1. Josh Donaldson hit a solo homer to left on an 0-1 Miley fastball. His 34th of the year and fourth in two games tied it at 1-1. Edwin Encarnacion then walked and advanced to second on Russell Martin's single. Encarnacion scored on a single by Troy Tulowitzki for the 2-1 lead. On the play, Martin was cut down trying for third. When Jose Bautista led off the Toronto sixth with a homer to left, the Blue Jays' lead was 3-1. He hit No. 16 on a 2-2 fastball.

But Miley had a strong outing. He pitched seven innings, allowing five hits and three runs with two walks and nine strikeouts. Miley threw 112 pitches and retired the side in order five times. He has allowed five runs in 12 innings over his past two starts after giving up 13 runs in six innings in the two starts before that.

Toronto scored twice in the ninth off Tommy Hunter to add to its lead. Justin Smoak drove in the fourth run with a single and a Devin Travis grounder scored their fifth run of the night.

For the Orioles offense, innings five, six and seven were particularly frustrating tonight. In the fifth, Matt Wieters led off and was hit by a pitch. Then Pedro Alvarez popped out on a 3-0 count on a pitch that looked out of the strike zone. Later that inning, with two on and two outs, Jonathan Schoop struck out.

In the sixth and seventh, the Orioles hit three line drives, but all three went right at a fielder. In the seventh, Wieters' line drive to first baseman Justin Smoak resulted in a double play.

The Orioles were held to three or fewer runs for the 13th time in 26 games and the 23rd time in 44 games in the second half and they are 20-24 since the break.

In the second game of this series on Tuesday night, right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez (5-11, 6.62 ERA) pitches against left-hander J.A. Happ (17-4, 3.19 ERA).