Showalter on Drake's DFA (Orioles win 2-1)

TORONTO - Before tonight's game, the Orioles selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Stefan Crichton from Triple-A Norfolk, adding him to the 25- and 40-man rosters. To make roster room, right-hander Oliver Drake was designated for assignment.

This could mean the end of Drake's Orioles career. He has been in the organization since the Orioles selected him in the 43rd round out of the Naval Academy in 2008. He has pitched for several affiliates on the farm, putting together strong seasons at Triple-A Norfolk in 2015 and 2016. Over parts of three seasons with the Orioles, he is 1-0 with a 3.89 ERA in 37 innings. In three games this year, he pitched 3 1/3 innings, allowing six hits and three runs.

"I think this will be a good move in the long term for Oliver," manager Buck Showalter said this afternoon "There is a human aspect to this. He deserves an opportunity to pitch on a consistent basis. He'll end up in the majors leagues shortly. I feel good for him. He was out of options. We'll see where the end of the transaction ends up. I think in the long run, this will be good for his career and I feel good about that."

The Orioles could attempt to trade Drake during the seven-day DFA period. If he wound up clearing waivers and was not dealt, as a player that was outrighted to Triple-A previously, he could refuse an assignment to return to the O's minor leagues.

The Blue Jays began this game at 1-7 with five losses in a row and with the worst record in the majors. They've scored just 23 runs with a team batting line of .190/.272/.276.

"I don't even know what their record is and haven't looked at it," Showalter said when asked pregame about the Blue Jays' poor start. "Something like that, you know that someone is going to pay. They are experienced and realize the reality of a long season. To me, it's a given. This is a path that you have to go through at some point. For everyone in our division."

As for tonight's game: Kevin Gausman and Francisco Liriano matched zeros through the first innings. The Orioles have just one hit and that was Jonathan Schoop's one-out double in the top of the third, but he was stranded there. Kevin Pillar led off the last of the third with a double to right, but Gausman then got Darwin Barney to line to left, Devon Travis to ground out and Ezequiel Carrera to do the same.

Through four, Liriano fanned six on 53 pitches and Gausman has issued one walk and fanned one, throwing 52 pitches.

In the fifth: The Orioles broke the scoreless tie scoring twice to lead 2-0 at the end of the fifth. After going 1-for-13 versus Liriano in the first four innings, the Baltimore fifth began with four straight hits.

Welington Castillo and Trey Mancini led off with singles and then Jonathan Schoop doubled to deep center. Castillo scored easily. Mancini, trying to score from first, was cut down 8-6-2 at the plate as Schoop held second. The next batter, J.J. Hardy, singled to center to plate Schoop for the 2-0 lead. Gausman fanned two in a scoreless fifth and is at 72 pitches.

Jays on the board: Toronto cut the O's lead to 2-1 on back-to-back doubles in the sixth by José Bautista and Josh Donaldson. But later in the inning, Gausman pitched out of a two-out first-and-third jam to hold the lead. Donaldson, who has been hampered by a calf injury, may have reinjured the calf running to second. He came out of the game for pinch-runner Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

It's a final: The Orioles held on to beat Toronto 2-1 to improve to 6-2 and drop the Blue Jays to 1-8 with six consecutive losses.

Zach Britton picked up his 53rd straight save - the third-longest streak since saves became a stat - pitching out of a second-and-third one-out jam in the ninth. He got Kevin Pillar to ground out and Steve Pearce to line out to strand two runners. A base hit gives Britton a blown save and the Orioles a loss, but he didn't let it happen.

The Orioles are 4-0 in one-run games and 1-0 in one two-run game. They are 3-0 on the year against Toronto by a combined 8-4 score.

Gausman picked up his first win, going six innings. He gave up five hits and one run with two walks and three strikeouts. He threw 97 pitches, 63 for strikes, and is 1-0 with an ERA of 3.94 through three starts. The Orioles are 3-0 in those games.

Darren O'Day pitched a 1-2-3 seventh and Brad Brach a 1-2-3 eighth before Britton and the drama we saw unfold in the ninth.

The Orioles were held to five hits tonight and struck out 15 times, but still take the opener of this four-game series. Check back for a new entry later with postgame quotes to wrap up the night.