Sloppy Blue Jays fall to Orioles in mistake-prone game
Match features wild pitches, misplayed balls, baserunning errors
Sometimes the inexperience of the Baltimore Orioles is glaring.
Nonetheless, first-year manager Brandon Hyde continues to see improvement with the rebuilding club.
Trey Mancini drove in two runs and the Orioles took advantage of a wild major league debut by Toronto reliever Yennsy Diaz to beat the Blue Jays 6-5 on Sunday.
"We sure have played a lot of close games," Hyde said. "I would love to have a 10-2 game one time. I think we stick together in the dugout real well. I don't think guys give away at-bats."
"Our bullpen has done a nice job for the most part holding onto a lead, which is really important, obviously. And we've been scoring some more runs. We're getting some more experience and some guys are improving," he said.
WATCH | Blue Jays lose to Orioles:
Game of errors
The Orioles (38-73) won a mistake-prone game with wild pitches, misplayed balls, costly walks and baserunning errors by both teams.
Rookies Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio had back-to-back homers off Tom Eshelman that pulled the Blue Jays within 6-4 in the seventh inning. Biggio is 13 for 32 (.406) over his first seven career games. The Orioles have allowed two or more home runs in nine consecutive games, tying an MLB record.
Dylan Tate entered for Baltimore and threw two wild pitches before allowing a run-scoring double to Randal Grichuk, who tied a career-high with four hits.
Eshelman (1-2) managed to pick up his first major league win after allowing four runs and eight hits over five innings. Branden Kline and Richard Bleier combined for a scoreless eighth and Shawn Armstrong picked up his fourth save.
"To be able to do that with this group of guys, it's pretty special," Eshelman said.
Toronto was 2 for 15 with runners in scoring position. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had his 11th three-hit game and is batting 19 for 39 (.487) in 10 games against Baltimore.
Mancini delivers
Baltimore led 4-2 when Diaz, who had never pitched above Double-A, took over the begin the fifth. The 22-year-old walked four batters, including two with the bases loaded, and was pulled with two outs.
"He was all over the place," Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo said. "When he throws strikes in the big leagues he'll look good."
The Blue Jays loaded the bases against Orioles opener Jimmy Yacabonis in the first. He got out of the jam on a forceout at the plate and a double play, with left fielder Antony Santander catching a flyball and throwing out Lourdes Gurriel Jr. trying to advance to third.
"I tried to anticipate the plate," Santander said. "I had it in my mind before it happened."
The Orioles took a 1-0 lead in the bottom half off Sean Reid-Foley (1-2) on a shallow popup by Jace Peterson that landed in left field for a single, allowing Santander to score from second.
Toronto tied it in the second on an RBI single by Teoscar Hernandez off Eshelman.
Baltimore took a 4-1 lead in the bottom half when Bichette couldn't handle a sharp grounder to shortstop by Jonathan Villar that allowed Chance Sisco to score and Mancini followed with a two-RBI double.
"Maybe 99 times out of a hundred I make that play," Bichette said.
Mancini has 15 RBIs in 13 games against Toronto this season.