The Orioles were challenged tonight by Blue Jays pitcher Joe Biagini, a procession of relievers and whatever curse was bestowed upon their center fielders.
Plate umpire Pat Hoberg ejected Adam Jones in the bottom of the first inning for arguing balls and strikes. Jones' replacement, Craig Gentry, exited in the top of the fourth inning with a laceration on his right middle finger. Meanwhile, a game remained scoreless until the bottom of the 13th.
Kevin Gausman blanked the Blue Jays through the sixth in his latest gem, the bullpen followed with seven shutout innings, and Jonathan Schoop doubled to right-center field off Aaron Loup to score Manny Machado and give the Orioles a 1-0 win before an announced crowd of 16,627 at Camden Yards.
Machado led off with an infield single, his fourth hit of the night, and Schoop doubled for his 101st RBI. He earned a pie in the face from Jones.
Jimmy Yacabonis, recalled earlier today, earned his first major league win in his fifth appearance. He stranded a runner on second base in the top of the 13th, with Trey Mancini breaking back on Steve Pearce's line drive with two outs and making a leaping catch before face-planting in the grass.
Gausman was removed at 115 pitches after walking Ryan Goins to lead off the seventh, and Brad Brach escaped a jam after issuing his own walk. Gausman shut out the Red Sox over 7 2/3 innings in his previous start at Fenway Park and tonight's outing left his ERA at 4.79.
The Orioles have won eight of nine games and are 69-66 overall, 42-27 at home, 31-23 against the division and 11-2 in extra innings.
Brach and Zach Britton each tossed two scoreless frames to carry the game into the 11th. The baton was handed to Miguel Castro, who logged 3 1/3 innings on Wednesday afternoon. The kid reached for it with his rubber arm and set down six of seven batters.
The game nearly came to a close in regulation. Mancini led off the ninth with a single off Tom Koehler and left-hander Matt Dermondy hit Chris Davis. Mark Trumbo popped up against Danny Barnes, Seth Smith struck out and pinch-hitter Welington Castillo flied to the right field warning track, where Teoscar Hernandez made a running catch.
Britton survived Kevin Pillar's leadoff double in the top of the ninth. Pillar moved to third on José Bautista's ground ball and was thrown out at the plate by Schoop, who fielded Darwin Barney's sharp grounder. Caleb Joseph made a tremendous lunging tag and the call held up after a challenge.
Britton retired the side in the 10th. He hadn't pitched two innings since also working the ninth and 10th against the Jays on opening day.
Joey Rickard took over in center field after Gentry struck out in the third. He must have wondered what horrible fate awaited him. Do 13 innings count?
The Orioles stranded two runners in each of the first three innings. Tim Beckham and Machado opened the first with singles and Machado and Schoop did the same in the third. In both innings, the next two batters struck out and the third grounded to short.
Eerie and ineffective.
Biagini retired the last 15 batters he faced, the Orioles failing to get a ball out of the infield, and his 10 strikeouts tonight eclipsed his previous career high by three.
Schoop's single gave the Orioles their last baserunner until Machado singled off Koehler with one out in the eighth.
Gausman stranded a runner in the first, second, fourth, fifth and sixth innings. He allowed five hits, walked one batter and struck out eight. Much too good for a no-decision.
Brach walked Hernandez with one out in the seventh, but pinch-hitter Justin Smoak lined to left field and Ezequiel Carrera struck out. Brach retired the side in order in the eighth on three ground balls.
The bullpen wasn't at full strength despite roster expansion, and Brach's two innings were needed. Manager Buck Showalter wanted to rest Mychal Givens and Darren O'Day. He also preferred to skip Castro, but circumstances wouldn't allow it.
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