Stroman shuts down Orioles as Blue Jays win 4-0

TORONTO - The Orioles did well against Toronto right-hander Marcus Stroman last year when he posted a 7.04 ERA against Baltimore in four starts. But it was a different story tonight in front of 38,847 at Rogers Centre.

Stroman pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings as Toronto beat the Orioles 4-0 to improve to 37-40 while dropping Baltimore back under the .500 mark at 38-39.

The right-hander was pretty dominant, allowing just five singles - no runner even reached second base while he was in the game. Stroman got swings and misses on eight of his 20 sliders. He walked one and fanned eight. He threw 119 pitches and is now 8-4 with a 3.41 ERA.

The Orioles were trying for a four-game win streak, which would have been their longest since winning six in a row from May 4-9. They were also denied their first four-game road winning streak of 2017.

The Orioles were shut out for the fifth time and advanced just one runner to second base all night. That came with two outs in the eighth, but reliever Danny Barnes fanned Jonathan Schoop to end that rally. Baltimore batters struck out 12 times, including their last four hitters of the night.

O's starter Wade Miley allowed a pair of solo homers and then two more runs on a play that almost got him out of a bases-loaded jam, but didn't.

Miley took the loss, allowing six hits and four runs (three earned) in five innings and throwing 109 pitches. Miley is 3-6 with an ERA of 4.54. His ERA over his past five starts is 9.58.

This was the 16th time in the last 18 games that an O's starter pitched fewer than six innings. The Orioles have just three quality starts the last 22 games.

José Bautista led off the home first with a solo homer for a 1-0 lead. He hit No. 14 on an 0-1 Miley curveball. The Blue Jays expanded their lead to 4-0, scoring three in the fourth. It started with Justin Smoak's leadoff blast to center at 430 feet. His 21st homer - a new career high - made it 2-0.

Toronto later loaded the bases, but the Orioles almost got out of it. Bautista blasted a ball at 110 mph up the middle, but shortstop Paul Janish knocked it down. His toss to Schoop to get an inning-ending force at second was late as a run scored. Schoop's throw to first bounced to the outfield side of the bag as a second run scored. Bautista got an RBI on a fielder's choice and the second run scored on an error charged to Schoop.

The Orioles will try to win this series in the third and deciding game tomorrow when Ubaldo Jiménez (2-3, 7.26 ERA) faces lefty J.A. Happ (2-4, 3.83 ERA).