The Toronto Blue Jays certainly have enjoyed playing the Baltimore Orioles this season. The Jays have won all five meetings so far this year.
Saturday’s 5-0 win was a result of timely offense and great pitching.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. got things going right away in the first inning with a two-out, two-run single to left field to score Rowdy Tellez and Teoscar Hernandez, which put the Jays up 2-0. Guerrero’s single extended his career-best hitting streak to 11 games. During the hit streak, Guerrero Jr. has scored 10 runs, had four doubles, a triple, two home runs and 10 RBI.
In the fourth, the red-hot Guerrero Jr. opened the inning with a single. Travis Shaw followed with a sharp ground ball that got into right field and put runners on the corners with no one out. Then, Derek Fisher hit into a fielder’s choice, which scored Guerrero Jr. to put the Blue Jays up by three runs. Later in the inning, Joe Panik doubled to get two runners in scoring position, and it led to Cavan Biggio’s two-run single that gave the Blue Jays a 5-0 lead after four innings.
As for the defense, it was a very solid debut for Toronto starting pitcher Taijuan Walker after being acquired from the Seattle Mariners on Friday. Walker was excellent, pitching six scoreless innings with four strikeouts, while giving up just four hits. He left the game with a 5-0 lead. The Blue Jays bullpen then combined for three scoreless innings as well to complete the shutout.
Toronto has won 10 of its last 13 games.
With the win, the Blue Jays are now 17-14 on the season and are only a half-game behind the New York Yankees for second place in the American League East division. The Blue Jays and Yankees will face each other 10 times in September.
The Jays and Orioles will meet again Sunday afternoon at Sahlen Field at 3:07 p.m. in Game 3 of a four-game series.
NOTES:
- Hernandez extended his hitting streak to tie a career-best 10 games.
- The Blue Jays placed pitcher Jordan Romano on the 10-day injured list with a right middle finger strain. Pitcher Sean Reid-Foley has been recalled from the club’s alternate training site and he was active for Saturday’s game.
- It’s been almost 105 years since Baltimore played a Major League Baseball game in Buffalo. On Sept. 8, 1915, the Baltimore Terrapins were swept by the Buffalo Blues at Federal League Park. (4-0, 5-4)
- All the players wore No. 42 on their jerseys for the second straight game to honor Jackie Robinson. It was officially Jackie Robinson Day across all of Major League Baseball on Friday night.