Toronto Blue Jays' Myles Straw hits an RBI double against the Baltimore Orioles in Toronto on Friday.Chris Young/The Canadian Press
An RBI double from Myles Straw began an onslaught of offence Friday night as the Toronto Blue Jays thumped the Baltimore Orioles 6-1 and remained atop the American League standings.
Straw gave the Jays their first lead of the game in the sixth inning – one they never relinquished – as they handed the Orioles just their second loss this month.
The Orioles came to town with an 8-1 record in September and the Jays cooled them in the first meeting of their three-game weekend set and improved to 48-25 at the Rogers Centre.
With the win, the Blue Jays (85-62) still hold the American League’s best record this season, pulling a full game ahead of the Detroit Tigers. The Jays remain three games ahead of the New York Yankees in the AL East.
Toronto's Vladimir Guerrero Jr. makes his way to first base against Baltimore on Friday.Chris Young/The Canadian Press
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had three hits, while Straw and Isiah Kiner-Falefa each added two apiece in the effort. The Jays out-hit Baltimore 10-3.
“It’s fun to watch ... it’s been really cool to have a group of guys just pulling from one another and know that when it’s their time, they’re ready for it,” said Toronto manager John Schneider.
“Awesome game for Myles. Izzy, I think, is re-energized a little bit, coming back here, and he’s just a baseball player that does the dirty things too, and just helps you win … it’s been the story of our season, where it could be anyone on any night.”
The Orioles (69-78) scored first on Friday, in the third inning, as Samuel Basallo came home thanks to a single from Jackson Holliday.
It was Guerrero Jr. in the fifth inning who helped tied the game. He cracked a deep ground ball to centre and it trickled under the glove of Baltimore fielder Colton Cowser to the wall, allowing Davis Schneider to leg it out all the way home.
Straw’s game-changing RBI double came in the sixth, as he lined a sharp one to the left centre field wall to bring Isiah Kiner-Falefa home.
Ernie Clement extended Toronto’s lead in the seventh by lining an RBI single to bring George Springer around to score.
Then Dalton Varsho, pinching-hitting for Schneider, striped a sharp ball through first base and into the field – a double that scored both Straw and Springer.
Toronto pitcher Chris Bassitt throws the ball while playing against the Orioles at home on Friday.Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images
Chris Bassitt lasted five innings Friday in his 30th start of the season for the Blue Jays, despite allowing just two hits and one run while striking out six. He said he didn’t disagree with John Schneider’s decision to take him out. The 35-year-old right-hander said he’ wasn’t injured, but he wasn’t feeling his best.
The Jays went to the bullpen in the sixth – a group who got some rest on Thursday because starter Kevin Gausman tossed a two-hit, complete game shutout to blank the Houston Astros 6-0.
“Gausy kind of gave me the runway because he pitched nine innings,” said Bassitt. “Wasn’t feeling great, so it’s like, kind of, why push it at that moment.”
They needed to go the bullpen early on Friday, and used Ryan Borucki, then Braydon Fisher, Louis Varland, Brendon Little and Yariel Rodríguez combined for four scoreless innings. They gave up just one hit in the four innings. As a group, Toronto’s group of relievers have been better recently – they’ve allowed just two earned runs in their last 16 2/3 innings.
“I’m really confident in our bullpen,” said Bassitt. “If we give them enough rest,” said they’re really, really good.”
Baltimore’s starter Trevor Rogers also left the mound after five innings, after allowing three hits, four walks, and one run against six strikeouts.
The Jays have 15 games left in the regular season. Max Scherzer is slated to take the mound for Toronto when the weekend set with Baltimore continues on Saturday.