The Orioles used four home runs and four sac flies to turn a close contest early into a late-inning laugher, beating the Blue Jays 16-4 in the first game of a doubleheader.
The turning point for the Orioles came in the 6th inning against Toronto reliever Lazaro Estrada. The Blue Jays’ right-hander relieved starter Easton Lucas after just 2.2 innings and the O’s up 4-1. By the bottom of the 6th, the Jays had cut the lead to 4-3.
After shutting the O’s down in the 4th and 5th, Estrada began to lose his
command at the start of the 6th. He hit Alex Jackson to lead off the inning, and two batters later, hit Ramón Laureano to give Baltimore another base runner. After scoring four runs on four sac flies early on, Gunnar Henderson delivered the O’s first run-scoring hit of the afternoon, lacing a single to left-center to score Jordan Westburg from second.
That Henderson single was just the appetizer, though, and Tyler O’Neill and Ramón Urías were more than happy to deliver the main course. O’Neill attacked a first-pitch slider that Estrada left up, launching it 401 feet into the Orioles bullpen for a Weaver and an 8-3 lead. For T’ON, it was his fourth homer in as many games, the first time in his career he’s homered in four straight games.
Tyler O'Neill has homered in FOUR STRAIGHT games! pic.twitter.com/78k906tL0N
— MLB (@MLB) July 29, 2025
The Home Run Pirate hat didn’t stay on O’Neill’s head for too long, though. Three pitches later, Urías turned on an inside fastball, sending it over the centerfield fence. It was the second consecutive game the Orioles hit back-to-back home runs, with Cedric Mullins and Colby Mayo hitting consecutive homers on Monday. Mullins helped extend the lead even further in the 6th, doubling on a sinking liner to center and scoring on a Colton Cowser bloop single.
While the flourish of runs in the 6th put the O’s in control, a pair of long balls in the 7th put the game away. Up 10-3, Westburg and Laurenao kicked off the inning with a pair of singles to give the O’s two base runners. Gunnar Henderson then promptly cleared the bases with the second Weaver of the day, blasting a first-pitch fastball into the right-center bleachers. Two batters later, Urías launched his second solo shot of the game to give Baltimore a 14-3 lead.
GUNNAR HOMERSON pic.twitter.com/cS3ULdhbX5
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) July 29, 2025
The O’s would tack on two more runs off of Blue Jays catcher-turned reliever Ali Sánchez, and in doing so made a little history. The 16th and final run of the game came via a Jackson Holliday sac fly to left that scored Westburg from third. With that long, productive out, the Orioles tied the Major League record with five sac flies in one game.
All of the offensive excellence propped up Charlie Morton in what was likely his last outing in the Baltimore black and orange. Uncle Charlie finished with a final line of 6.0 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 3 BB and 2 K, and Birdland really got the full Charlie Morton experience throughout the afternoon.
Morton opened the day by working around a walk to Vlad Guerrero Jr. to post a scoreless 1st. He then cruised through the 2nd, only needing 8 pitches to set down the Jays on three groundouts.
The 41-year-old vet ran into some trouble in the 3rd thanks to a hanging curve and an errant throw from Urías. With one out, Sánchez pulled a hanging curveball down the left field line to give Toronto their first runner in scoring position. After a groundout moved the Jays catcher to third, DH Davis Schneider tapped a soft grounder to the Orioles’ 3B. The former gold glover made a great play to bare-hand the ball, but his throw sailed over Coby Mayo and allowed Sánchez to score.
Morton’s only other blemish came as it often does, via the long ball. Bo Bichette led off the 4th by working a four-pitch walk. Toronto’s No. 5 hitter, Addison Barger, then crushed a first-pitch changeup that caught too much of the plate, sending it to the center field bleachers for a two-run shot.
The 5th and 6th innings were far from clean for Morton, but the 18-year veteran made the pitches he needed to keep the Jays at three runs. The quality start is a fitting potential send-off for the second-oldest pitcher in baseball, who now owns a 3.62 ERA since May 9th to go along with 73 Ks in 69.2 IP.
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After scoring 16 runs against the Jays Tuesday afternoon, the Orioles have scored 50 runs on 58 hits during their current four-game win streak. This was the offense all Orioles fans imagined would propel the O’s to contention, but it’s all coming a little too late.
The Orioles will try to secure a series win against the AL’s best team later today at 6:35, when Brandon Young gets the start in Game 2 of the doubleheader.
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