With the season already more than a quarter complete, the Orioles played the Toronto Blue Jays for the first time in 2023 and came away with a 6-2 win at Rogers Centre on Friday night.
Kyle Gibson (5-3) broke a three-game losing streak, equaling his season high with seven innings, allowing a run on five hits.
The Orioles (29-16) are 13 games over .500 for the third time this season and they’re 7-6 against the American League East.
Last season, they were 9-10 against the Blue Jays.
Ryan Mountcastle’s three-run homer, Adam Frazier’s two-run home run and Anthony Santander’s homer accounted for all the Orioles’ runs.
The Orioles are 13-2 in series openers and 8-0 in road openers.
Mountcastle hit his fourth home run against Yusei Kukuchi (5-1). It was his 10th home run this season and his 15th against Toronto (25-20) in 45 games.
After 21 2/3 scoreless innings, Yennier Cano allowed a run on two hits, and his ERA is 0.40.
Alek Manoah (1-4. 5.40) will face Grayson Rodriguez (2-1, 6.57) on Saturday 3:07 p.m. on MASN.
It’s possible that relief pitcher Mychal Givens will be activated for Saturday’s game.
New ways to watch: Many of you who normally watch on MASN probably didn’t subscribe to Apple TV+ to see the game.
This is the second year that MLB has had a pair or streaming packages. This season, the Orioles will be featured on at least two Apple TV+ games. Their June 9th game against Kansas City also will be seen on Apple.
The Orioles have two more games scheduled for Peacock — June 18th at the Chicago Cubs and July 2nd against Minnesota. Their May 7th game at Atlanta was not only on Peacock but it was simulcast on NBC. That’s the only broadcast TV simulcast currently scheduled on Peacock.
The Orioles had one game on FOX Sports, May 6th at Atlanta. Currently, they’re not scheduled for any other FOX games on Saturday or on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, but that could change as long as the team stays relevant.
It’s likely that in the future, more games will be streamed since so many viewers have chosen to end their cable TV subscriptions.
Last week, the NFL announced that one of their wild-card playoff games will be on Peacock. MLB has not yet streamed any playoff games but has put some on MLB Network, which many fans don’t subscribe to. MLB’s new TV contract has more playoff games on FOX and fewer on Fox1 Sports, which is available in fewer households.
The national telecasts feature quick in-game interviews with manager Brandon Hyde. I’ve always found in-game interviews in baseball, football and basketball to be less-than-informative, but they make for good TV, and provide something not available on local TV.
Minor league update: Chayce McDermott, Nolan Hoffman and Easton Lucas combined on a no-hitter for Double-A Bowie in its 4-0 win over Altoona.
McDermott walked four batters in five innings and struck out four. Hoffman struck out five in two innings, and Lucas struck out three in two innings. ‘
It was the fifth nine-inning no-hitter in Bowie history.
Billy Cook hit a two-run home run. First baseman Heston Kjerstad had three hits.
Drew Rom allowed a run on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings in Triple-A Norfolk’s 1-0 loss to Syracuse.
The Tides had six hits.
Dillon Tate pitched a scoreless 1 1/3 innings, allowing a hit and striking out a batter.
Rightfielder Dylan Beavers and catcher Silas Ardoin both drove in two runs as High-A Aberdeen beat Winston-Salem, 5-1.
Kyle Virbitsky (1-1) pitched four scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out six.
Third baseman Anderson Des Los Santos drove in four runs, including a two-run home run and shortstop Carter Young drove in three as Single-A Delmarva beat Charleston 8-5.