BALTIMORE—On a night that was was full of tension, Anthony Santander’s three-run home run in the seventh inning broke a 3-3 tie and led the Orioles to a 6-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays before an announced crowd of 11,751 at Camden Yards on Friday night.
There was yelling between Orioles manager Brandon Hyde and Toronto starter Robbie Ray in the second inning, and an ugly sequence in the sixth that allowed the Blue Jays to tie the game. After the game, Hyde apologized for the outburst.
“I understand that some of my language was picked up on a mic by our dugout,” Hyde said. “I just wanted to apologize to the all the fans out there, the Blue Jays, Robbie Ray, [manager] Charlie Montoyo. It was in the heat of the moment. I felt like our team was being accused of something that wasn’t happening. We had a lively dugout, but my language, there was no excuse for that … That was unprofessional on my part.”
During Richie Martin’s second-inning at-bat, which ended with a strikeout, Hyde and Ray were jawing at each other, with the Oriole manager barking at the Blue Jays pitcher.
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“I was surprised, and that’s why it caught me off-guard,” Hyde said. “That’s why I reacted the way I did, just kind of sticking up for our guys. We do things the right way here. We play the game the right way. We do things the right way in the dugout. I felt like our guys were being targeted, and I wish I would have handled it differently.”
Ray wasn’t pleased with Hyde’s reaction.
‘I’m not going to waste my time on someone that doesn’t get into the box,” Ray said. “I don’t have the time of day.”
The Orioles had a 3-0 lead at the time of the incident.
Oriole centerfielder Cedric Mullins led off the bottom of the first with a home run, his 28th, and his eighth leadoff homer of the season. He has 11 in his career. Later, he would steal his 28th base, moving closer to the 30-30 club.
Austin Hays tripled against Ray with one out, extending his hitting streak to 16 games, and Ryan McKenna hit his second home run for the 3-0 lead.
The Blue Jays tied it at 3, and the Orioles rallied in the seventh. Mullins led off with a bunt that Julian Merryweather (0-1) booted for an error. He moved to second on Ryan Mountcastle’s tapper in front of home plate. With two outs, Hays walked, and Santander, who didn’t start the game, hit his 15th home run for a 6-3 lead.
Conner Greene (1-0) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings for his first major league win.
Cole Sulser shut out the Blue Jays in the eighth and ninth for his seventh save.
“We did a lot of good things, and it was a good win,” Hyde said.
The Orioles (46-94) are 8-8 since their 19-game losing streak ended. It was their fifth win in September after a 4-24 record in August. Toronto, which had won eight straight, is 77-63.
“Definitely great energy from the very beginning,” Santander said through a translator. “We’re playing against a very hot team. Definitely the energy helped us to stay competitive.”
Oriole starter Chris Ellis loaded the bases in the fourth on a single to Bichette and two-out walks to Alejandro Kirk land Lourdes Gurriel. Jake Lamb’s popup to Martin at shortstop ended the inning.
Ellis got the first two outs in the fifth and walked Marcus Semiern. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled, and Semien scored on Bo Bichette’s single. Teoscar Hernández walked to load the bases, and Kirk grounded out.
Toronto left eight men on base in the first five innings and trailed, 3-1.
Ray threw 4 1/3 innings, equaling his shortest outing of the year that also came against the Orioles on June 18th. Ray allowed three runs and a season-high eight hits.
Ellis gave up a run on five hits in five innings.
“To be honest with you, I know they’re on an eight, nine-game heater. It was nice to end that,” Ellis said.
In the top of the sixth, Oriole reliever Fernando Abad allowed a double to Gurriel. Lamb grounded out to Abad. Randal Grichuk grounded to second, and Jahmai Jones decided to throw to third to get Gurriel, but the throw was wild, and Abad collided with Gurriel on his way to the plate.
Grichuk ended up at third on a wild throw by third baseman Kelvin Gutiérrez, and Greene replaced Abad. George Springer grounded to short for the second out, and a double by Semien scored Grichuk to tie the game, 3-3.
“I think for the last two weeks, we’ve been playing better baseball, being aggressive, being competitive, and I think we’re aiming to finish the season strong,” Santander said.
Notes: Matt Harvey, who was placed on the 10-day injured list because of right knee inflammation, won’t pitch again in 2021. “We’re going to give him the rest of the year off,” Hyde said. “Harv did everything he could this year to get a job, either here or with somebody else year. He’s been an unbelievable team guy, veteran presence in our clubhouse.” … Right-hander Jorge López, who’s also on the 10-day injured list because of a sprained ankle, also won’t pitch again this season. … Left-hander Bruce Zimmermann, who’s on the 60-day injured list because of a sprained right ankle, should be able to pitch before the end of the season. … Jones and Austin Wynns had the first stolen bases of their careers.
Minor league update: Thomas Eshelman and Paul Fry each allowed four runs in relief as Triple-A Norfolk lost to Durham, 10-1. Eshelman pitched an inning in relief of Cody Sedlock (1-2) and allowed four runs on four hits while Fry recorded two outs and gave up four runs on three hits and a walk. His ERA since his demotion from the Orioles is 22.50. Adley Rutschman hit his third home run.
Double-A Bowie scored five runs in the 10th to beat Harrisburg, 8-3. Catcher Chris Hudgins had three RBIs, third baseman Jordan Westburg had three hits, and first baseman Andrew Daschbach hit his seventh home run. Drew Rom started and threw five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out seven.
Xavier Moore allowed a three-run home run to Wilmington’s Omar Meregildo in the ninth inning as High-A Aberdeen lost to the Blue Rocks, 5-2. IronBirds first baseman TT Bowens hit his third homer to tie the score, 2-2, in the ninth.
Cam Bishop (0-1) allowed five runs in the fifth as Low-A Delmarva lost to Fredericksburg, 6-1.
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