Colton Cowser spearheaded a dominant Orioles start, and Kyle Bradish shut down the Blue Jays lineup, as the O’s beat the Blue Jays 9-5 to earn a series split.
After using small ball and a patient approach for their dramatic comeback Saturday, the O’s went back to small ball to take an early lead Sunday. In his first AB since his walk-off winner, Pete Alonso kicked off the 2nd with a sharp single up the middle. Samuel Basallo then worked a seven-pitch walk to move Alonso into scoring position for Leody
Taveras. The Oriole’s CF laid down a perfect sac bunt right out in between the pitcher and catcher, allowing both Alonso and Basallo to move up. Colton Cowser then got the O’s on the board, hitting a ground ball just slow enough to second to bring home Alonso and give Baltimore a 1-0 lead.
Cowser, Alonso, and Basallo were then at the heart of another rally in the 3rd. Gunnar Henderson set the table with a one-out single up the middle and Adley Rutschman moved him over after a five-pitch walk. Alonso then continued to spray the ball to all fields, flipping a single into right-center to plate Henderson and grow the lead to 2-0. Basallo then continued his incredible hot streak, turning on an 0-2 slider inside and lining it into the right field corner for a double.
The big blow came from Cowser, who has turned into the Orioles’ most clutch hitter over the last eight days. With two outs and runners on second and third, the Oriole RF got a 1-1 sinker over the middle of the plate and blasted the ball into the center field bleachers. It was the third multi-run homer for Cowser in the last nine games, after his two walkoff homers earlier against Detroit and Tampa Bay.
After ending the 3rd inning rally with a long ball, Cowser began another rally in the 6th. The Milkman started the inning with a four-pitch walk. Blaze Alexander then picked up his first hit of the afternoon, singling on a line drive to center. Jackson Holliday then walked to load the bases, before Taylor Ward grounded into a fielder’s choice at second, driving home Cowser for a 7-0 lead.
Henderson then picked up his first RBI of the day, doubling to center on a first-pitch slider to bring home Alexander and grow the lead to 8-0. With Ward on third, Rutschman delivered the final run of the inning, launching a 2-2 fastball into deep center for a sac fly to make it 9-0.
The run support was more than enough for starter Kyle Bradish, who once again looked dominant in shutting down the Blue Jays lineup. Nathan Lukes led off the bottom of the 1st with a single to left, but that was one of only four hits Bradish would allow in seven innings Sunday. He’d strand Lukes by getting Vladimir Guerror Jr. to pop, getting Daulton Varsho to fly out on a lazy ball hit to left and punching out Kazuma Okamoto on a sharp slider.
Jesús Sánchez would record the Jays’ second hit off Bradish with a one-out single in the 2nd. That runner was immediately erased when Charles McAdoo bounced an up-and-in sinker to Jackson Holliday at second for a 4-6-3 double play.
The double play ball would start a stretch that saw Bradish set down five straight Blue Jays hitters, a streak that only came to an end on an Okamoto walk in the 4th. However, nothing came of that baserunner, as Bradish got Ernie Clement to fly out on a 0-1 curveball to end the inning. Bradish would repeat the feat in the 5th, walking Andrés Giménez with two outs before stranding him by getting Brandon Valenzuela to fly out.
Bradish would set down the Jays in order in the 6th, ending the inning on 72 pitches. With the score at 9-0, Craig Albernaz decided to send his starter out for another inning, which is when Toronto would finally blemish Bradish’s record. Clement started the rally with a one-out single before moving to second on Yohendrick Piñango single. McAdoo would then send a potential double-play ball to short, and while the O’s got the first out at second, Holliday’s throw sailed over Alonso and allowed Clement to score.
Bradish would limit any further damage, striking out Valenzuela to end the frame and finish his afternoon. His final line closed at 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R (0 ER), 3 BB and 4 K. It was only his second start this season where he completed seven innings, and his fourth straight start allowing two or fewer earned runs.
Tyler Wells would take over in the 8th inning and make the game feel closer than it really was. Lukes led off the inning with a single and moved to second on a two-out walk by Okamoto. Wells then left a fastball up to Clement, who slashed a double to left to score Lukes and cut the Baltimore lead to 9-2. The righty’s cutter then caught too much of the plate against Piñango, who blasted a three-run homer onto the flag court to cut the O’s lead in half.
Rico Garcia then took over in the 9th and shut down the top of the Jays’ order to seal the win. Valenzuela started the inning with a one-pitch groundout to first. He then got Lukes to pop out to third on two pitches before getting Vladdy to pop out to Alonso to end it. The six-pitch shutdown inning was Garcia’s 21st appearance this season without allowing a hit and 15th without allowing a base runner.
The win moves the Orioles to 28-32, a game back of Toronto for the final Wild Card spot in the American League. The O’s continue their stretch against AL East opponents Tuesday when they travel to Boston to face the Red Sox.
