After two tough losses, Blue Jays get much-needed walk-off win against Orioles

Source: The New York Times
Author: Kaitlyn McGrath

TORONTO -- Over their two previous games, the Toronto Blue Jays had been thoroughly outplayed by the Baltimore Orioles.

In the two losses, the Blue Jays were outscored 17-3. The Orioles out-homered the Blue Jays 7-2, showing why they entered Wednesday 11 1/2 games ahead of the Blue Jays in the standings. Before the game, manager John Schneider admitted, "The last two days were tough -- tough losses."

On Wednesday, the Blue Jays instead got to feel joy after a 3-2 win thanks to Isiah Kiner-Falefa's walk-off single in the ninth secured the much-needed victory. After dropping the first two games, the Blue Jays can split the four-game series on Thursday. Equally important, however, is punching back at a talented Orioles team and earning a satisfying win in a season that has featured few of them.

"That's a good win," Schneider said. "Again, we know they're a good team. We've been saying that for a couple of days. That's a good win. (Starter José Berríos) was great, kind of just a total team effort, really, there between him and the bullpen and some timely hitting. It feels good to move on from the last two and get ready for tomorrow."

With the score tied 2-2 in the ninth, the Orioles called on closer Craig Kimbrel, who entered the game not having allowed a run or a hit in his last eight appearances. But Justin Turner ended that streak immediately when he led off the inning with a single. Cavan Biggio entered to run for Turner, and he promptly forced an errant pickoff throw to first from Kimbrel allowing him to advance to second base.

Alejandro Kirk moved Biggio to third with a flyball to right. Then with the winning run 90 feet away, Kiner-Falefa sent a high fastball over the head of right fielder Kyle Stowers that drove in Biggio and led to Kiner-Falefa's mobbing from his teammates on the field.

"It felt good," Kiner-Falefa said about the on-field celebration. "Especially my first year on the team, to get that moment as a Blue Jay meant a lot to me."

It's fitting that Kiner-Falefa was the walk-off hero because he's been one of the Blue Jays' best performers of late. Over his last 14 games, the utility man is batting .340 (17-for-50) with three doubles, a triple, a pair of home runs, seven RBIs and a .949 OPS. On his approach against Kimbrel, who he has only ever faced once before, Kiner-Falefa said he was looking to put a ball in play.

"I like those situations as a contact hitter. Those are like what you dream of as a contact hitter just coming up and seeing the infield in and just trying to put something in play," he said. "I was just able to get a good pitch to hit and drive it."

More than two hours before Kiner-Falefa's game-winning single, the game began how it has for the last month as the Blue Jays didn't score in the first inning, continuing their opening inning scoring drought, which has now extended to a franchise-record 27 games.

In the second inning, the Orioles capitalized and took a 2-0 lead after designated hitter Anthony Santander's solo home run to right and then an RBI double from third baseman Ramón Urías.

But their lead didn't last long as the Blue Jays continued their prolific second-inning scoring streak. Entering Wednesday, the Blue Jays led the league in second-inning scoring with 42 runs and they added two more after Kirk and Kiner-Falefa drove in a pair of runs that tied the game.

"The two runs right there were huge," Kiner-Falefa said. "Getting those two runs back, I think, gave us a little bit of life and it just kept us in the fight. I think if we don't score that, we'd be pretty deflated after the first few games."

On the mound, Berríos held a dangerous Orioles lineup in check. The Blue Jays right-hander has traditionally pitched well against the Orioles, owning a career 2.95 ERA. The last time he faced Baltimore in May at Camden Yards, he held them to two runs over seven innings in an eventual 3-2 win.

It was a similar story at the Rogers Centre. The Santander and Urías balls were the only damage Berríos would give up as he held the Orioles to two runs on six hits over six innings with two strikeouts and three walks. The six innings were especially meaningful after Tuesday's bullpen day used six of the team's relievers, leaving them short for this game.

"He had really good stuff early -- really good fastball, and then just had a good mix going," Schneider said of his starter. "I think he kept them on the ground a little bit more and made big pitches when he had to. That's been his thing all year. Lots of quality starts, I think it's 11."

(Berríos indeed leads the majors with 11 quality starts.)

Asked how he's had such sustained success against the Orioles, Berríos laughed and shrugged before saying: "Honestly, I don't know. I just had it in my mind to come to the ballpark. Play my game, enjoy the game and do it again."

After Berríos exited, relievers Tim Mayza and Chad Green combined to pitch a scoreless seventh and eighth, before Yimi García followed with a perfect, 10-pitch ninth inning to preserve the tie. Had it gone to extras, Schneider said García would have pitched the 10th.

Instead, Kiner-Falefa made sure that extras wouldn't be necessary.

"It feels good to come out with the W," Kiner-Falefa said. "And hopefully it's a little momentum shift and keeps things rolling."