Orioles' winning streak destroyed by Morales in 11-8 loss

The Orioles didn't need to hold a special meeting tonight to figure out why their winning streak ended at seven games. The only reason to stay late was to check whether a trade had been consummated before the midnight deadline.

The starter can't give up seven runs, and doing it with two outs compounded the frustration. The staff can't keep walking Josh Donaldson to bring up Kendrys Morales.

No one should have pitched to Morales.

Morales hit three home runs and totaled a career-high seven RBIs, and the Orioles couldn't cover for their poor pitching in an 11-8 loss to the Blue Jays before an announced crowd of 13,802 at Camden Yards.

Eight runs and 16 hits, 13 of them singles, weren't enough to turn back the Jays.

The Orioles fell to 68-66 overall, 41-27 at home, 30-23 against the division and 9-4 versus Toronto. They're 2 1/2 games behind the Twins for the second wild card.

Adam Jones and Chris Davis homered for the Orioles, who were trying for their first eight-game winning streak since April 22-May 1, 2005, a season that saw them spend 62 days in first place. Manager Lee Mazzilli was relieved of his duties on Aug. 4 in Anaheim with first baseman Rafael Palmeiro serving a suspension for violating the league's steroid policy and the club 10 1/2 games behind the division-leading Red Sox.

The 2017 season is striking a different tone, but Morales bashed the Orioles tonight.

He hit a two-run homer off Jeremy Hellickson in the third inning, stroked an RBI single in the fifth, clubbed a three-run homer off Mychal Givens in the sixth for a 10-6 lead and added a bases-empty shot off the right-hander in the eighth. The three home runs tied his career high.

Donaldson drew three walks ahead of Morales and also had a double before the two-run shot. Donaldson was retired in the eighth, but Morales decided to work solo.

Chris Tillman, listed as Sunday's starter, warmed in the bullpen but didn't pitch. Darren O'Day retired the side in order in the ninth after the Orioles scored two runs in the previous inning and stranded two runners in scoring position.

Hellickson allowed seven runs - all with two outs - and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. A five-run fifth turned a 5-2 lead into a 7-5 deficit.

Morales crushed a 90 mph fastball on a 1-2 count in the third. The lead was down to 3-2. He grounded an RBI single into left field with two outs in the fifth after Donaldson walked. The lead was down to 5-3.

José Bautista walked and Miguel Montero and Kevin Pillar followed with two-run doubles to chase Hellickson.

Jays starter Marco Estrada rationed the Orioles to three runs in three starts this season covering 20 2/3 innings. The Orioles matched the total tonight in two innings and blew past it in the third while taking a 5-2 lead. Davis' homer in the bottom of the fifth reduced Toronto's lead to 7-6 and Estrada didn't return for the sixth.

The Orioles have hit 57 home runs this month to break the major league record for August that they set last year with 55.

Estrada has won six consecutive decisions against the Orioles dating back to 2015. The Orioles were batting .184 against him in 13 career starts before tonight, their fifth-lowest average against any pitcher with at least 70 innings and the lowest since they batted .160 against Eric King over 104 1/3 innings from 1986-1992.

Jones hit his 26th home run, a two-run shot in the first inning after Manny Machado walked, stole second base and moved to third on catcher Miguel Montero's throwing error.

Machado was 2-for-24 lifetime against Estrada, so the walk wasn't an ideal outcome for the Blue Jays. Neither was Jones' shot to left field.

The Orioles increased their lead to 3-0 in the second inning on singles by Davis, Welington Castillo and Tim Beckham. Beckham reached on an infield hit, with Donaldson unable to make the barehanded play.

Beckham had three hits tonight, including a single in the two-run eighth inning that reduced the lead to 11-8. He's hit safely in 27 of 29 games with the Orioles and has 50 hits this month, two more than J.J. Hardy in 64 games. Hardy will be back in Baltimore on Friday.

Castillo's single was his ninth hit in his last 12 at-bats.

Jonathan Schoop notched his 100th RBI with an infield hit that scored Beckham, who would have been out if the throw hadn't skipped past Montero. The other run in the eighth scored on Bautista's error. Jones grounded out after Machado and Schoop singled and moved up on a passed ball.

Hellickson wasn't economical with his pitches, running his count to 42 after two innings. Estrada threw 45 in the same number of innings. The pace of the game resembled the tortoise versus the tortoise.

The Jays sped past the Orioles, who couldn't catch them.

Note: The Virginian-Pilot is reporting that catcher Chance Sisco, the organization's top prospect, is joining the Orioles on Friday, along with Pedro Álvarez and Joey Rickard. The Orioles have only one opening on their 40-man roster and Sisco and Álvarez must be added to it. Shortstop J.J. Hardy also is expected in Baltimore and will need to come off the 60-day disabled list.