Teoscar Hernandez delivered the dramatics on Sunday afternoon with a walk-off two-run base hit that powered the Toronto Blue Jays to a 6-5 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Sahlen Field on Sunday afternoon.
It was Toronto’s second walk-off win in three days against the Orioles, and helped Toronto win their fourth-straight game on the homestand.
Orioles left fielder Ryan Mountcastle opened the scoring with his first career Major League home run in the top of the second inning. Mountcastle’s solo homer led off the second for Baltimore, and was the first of a pair of homers for the rookie on Sunday.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning with an RBI base hit that scored Randal Grichuk. Toronto’s starting center fielder collected the first hit off of Baltimore starter Jorge Lopez with one out in the bottom of the fourth before Guerrero Jr. extended his hitting streak to 12 games.
The Blue Jays would take a 3-1 lead an inning later, chasing Lopez from the game in the process. Cavan Biggio’s RBI single game Toronto a one-run lead, and it was quickly doubled by Grichuk’s sacrifice fly that scored Joe Panik.
The lead would be short-lived, however.
Tanner Roark started for the Blue Jays on Sunday and worked into the sixth inning before giving up three more runs that gave Baltimore a 4-3 lead. Renato Núñez led off the inning with a double and scored one batter later thanks to a Pedro Severino RBI single. Mountcastle belted his second homer of the game, this time a two-run blast, that once again gave the visitors a one-run lead.
Rowdy Tellez tied the game 4-4 with an RBI base hit in the bottom of the eighth inning that scored Hernandez. But once again, the Orioles answered the next inning. Jose Iglesias’ RBI base hit off of Anthony Bass gave the O’s their third lead of the game, this time 5-4.
Just like Friday night, Cole Sulser came in for Baltimore in a save situation, and, once again, he was unable to secure the win. Panik led off the bottom of the ninth with a walk and was pinch run for by Santiago Espinal before the bases were loaded. Grichuk and Travis Shaw drew walks off of Sulser to help load the bases, and with two outs gave Hernandez the chance to hit a two-run single that won the game.
Bass was credited with his second win of the season, while Susler suffered his fourth defeat while blowing his third save on the year.
Notes:
- The Blue Jays and Orioles, once again, wore their Jackie Robinson Day jerseys. All players wore the No. 42 for the third straight game.
- Monday marks the MLB trade deadline. Prior to Sunday’s contest Baltimore made a pair of trades, sending left-hander Tommy Milone to the Atlanta Braves for two players to be named later, and reliever Mychal Givens to the Colorado Rockies for infielder Tyler Nevin, infielder Terrin Vavra, and a player to be named later.