Orioles lose 15-2 to AL East-champ Blue Jays, then win 8-1
BALTIMORE (AP) - Playing for the first time since being officially eliminated from playoff contention, the Baltimore Orioles offered little resistance against a Toronto team poised to inherit their AL East title.
Seven Baltimore pitchers issued 10 walks, and the Orioles committed four errors in a 15-2 defeat Wednesday that enabled the Blue Jays to clinch their first division crown in 22 years.
Baltimore rebounded to win the second game 8-1, beating Toronto's reserves while getting two homers from Chris Davis.
A year ago, the Orioles earned their first division title since 1997. On this day, Toronto ended an even longer drought.
"Congratulations to them. They earned it," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "We had something that people came after and they took it from us."
Baltimore aided the cause. The four errors came from a team that entered with the best fielding percentage in the majors.
Was it all because they had nothing to play for anymore?
"That's a convenient excuse," Showalter said. "We've got to be better than that. That was disappointing. In any form of life, when you take hope out of the picture it really challenges you mentally and emotionally. We didn't respond to that in the first game."
Davis took over the home run lead at 45 in the nightcap, and Manny Machado and Matt Wieters also went deep.
Kevin Gausman (4-7) had a career-high 10 strikeouts over eight innings, albeit against a lineup consisting entirely of backups.
"As poorly as we played in the first game is as well as we played in the second game," Showalter said. "Like I've said many times, it starts with pitching. Regardless of who they ran out there tonight, I think Gaus would have had a real good outing. He was sharp."
Davis provided much of the offensive firepower, hitting solo shots in the seventh and eighth innings. He has 201 home runs in his big league career.
"Any milestone obviously means you put in the work, put in the time, had some success," he said. "It means even more to me being able to do it here. It's something that has really meant a lot to me over the last few years."
The game was scoreless until the seventh, when Manny Machado and Davis connected off Ryan Tepera (0-2) to spark the rout.
"It's kind of a turnaround," Showalter said. "Some of the things they did to us in the first game we did to them."
In the opener, Miguel Gonzalez (9-12) gave up four runs in 3 2/3 innings and the Orioles committed two errors during Toronto's four-run fifth.
Marcus Stroman (4-0) allowed one run and five hits in his fourth start since returning from left knee surgery. He struck out eight and walked two.
Jose Bautista hit his 40th home run, Edwin Encarnacion delivered No. 37 and Justin Smoak also connected for Toronto. Ryan Goins had a career-high five hits to help the Blue Jays win their sixth straight.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Blue Jays: Tulowitzki (back, shoulder) is rapidly mending and could return before the postseason, manager John Gibbons said.
Orioles: CF Adam Jones remains sidelined with back problems. He's played in one game since Sept. 20.
ON DECK
Thursday's series finale has been moved up to 12:05 p.m. from 7:05 because of the threat of rain. Gibbons scratched David Price and did not announce his starter. Rookie Tyler Wilson (2-2, 3.60 ERA) goes for Baltimore.