Pete Alonso capped Baltimore’s five-run ninth inning with a walk-off single as in the Orioles stunned the visiting Toronto Blue Jays 6-5 on Saturday.
The Orioles rallied with four hits, three walks and a hit batter in the ninth to end a two-game skid. Baltimore was held to three singles through eight innings.
Toronto’s Kazuma Okamoto doubled in two runs in the eighth, but Toronto’s winning streak was halted at four games. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. racked up four hits, including a double, and scored twice, while Ernie Clement had two singles as part of the Blue Jays’ 11-hit attack.
The Blue Jays pulled off four double plays, ending the second, third and fourth innings, and squashing a rally in the sixth. Those defensive plays helped to compensate — for a while — for the 11 walks drawn by the Orioles, who dropped the first two games of the series by one-run margins.
Yariel Rodriguez, Tyler Rogers and Louis Varland all logged one scoreless inning out of the Toronto bullpen. Jeff Hoffman (4-4) gave up ninth-inning runs on Leody Taveras’ triple, Baltimore’s first extra-base hit of the game, and Jackson Holliday’s single.
Then Colton Cowser doubled and Taylor Ward walked to put the potential winning run at second base with one out. Gunnar Henderson walked to force in a run, causing Hoffman’s exit and bringing on Connor Seabold. Adley Rutschman drew a walk on a full-count pitch to tie the score before Alonso delivered.
The Blue Jays are losers for just the third time in their last 11 games.
Toronto starter Trey Yesavage, in his first matchup with Baltimore, held the Orioles to one run and two hits in five innings despite issuing seven walks while striking out four.
Orioles starter Brandon Young lasted 6 2/3 innings and was charged with two runs on seven hits with one walk and seven strikeouts.
Anthony Nunez was dinged with two eighth-inning runs, though Keegan Akin surrendered Okamoto’s double. Albert Suarez (2-0) pitched the ninth for the victory.
The Orioles scored first on Henderson’s third-inning single.
Toronto went on top in the fourth, with Jesus Sanchez doubling in the tying run with two outs and then scoring on Clement’s single.
After extending the advantage in the eighth, the Blue Jays tacked on an insurance run in the ninth aided by right fielder Cowser’s error.
