TORONTO (AP) - Swept out of Cleveland by the red-hot Indians, the Baltimore Orioles didn’t have better luck north of the border.
Ryan Goins hit a solo home run, Marco Estrada won his third straight decision and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the slumping Orioles 4-3 on Monday night.
Two outfield errors in Toronto’s two-run second proved costly to Baltimore, which has lost five straight. It was the 13th multi-error game of the season for the Orioles, who had 10 such games last season.
“Everything is going against us right now,” right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez said. “We’re in a bad streak. Hopefully we get it going tomorrow and get out of it.”
Darwin Barney had two hits and an RBI as the Blue Jays won their third straight.
Mark Trumbo hit a solo homer for Baltimore, which entered three games back in the AL wild-card race. The Orioles have scored eight total runs in their past five games.
“We’re pushing, but that’s normal human tendency,” manager Buck Showalter said. “You can’t tell them not to care and not to try harder.”
Estrada (8-8) allowed two runs and four hits in five innings. He walked none and struck out seven, giving him a career-best 166 punchouts. He struck out 165 last season.
“As of late I’ve turned my season around,” Estrada said.
Teoscar Hernandez doubled to begin the second on a ball that right fielder Trumbo lost in the twilight. Trumbo raced after the ball but fumbled it into the stands for an error, sending Hernandez to third. Goins drove him in with an RBI groundout.
Barney followed with a double to right-center, advancing on a throwing error by Adam Jones.
“We still know that we have very good chances to advance our season,” Jones said, “but if we don’t take care of business and take care of the ball, we won’t.”
Barney lost his footing as he approached third base, stumbling and crawling into the bag.
“That wasn’t real good,” manager John Gibbons said. “I just think he was out of gas.”
Rookie Richard Urena followed with an RBI double.
Jones halved the deficit with a single in the fourth but Goins replied with a one-out drive in the bottom half, his seventh.
The homer came off Jimenez (5-10), who allowed three runs and six hits in five innings.
Trumbo snapped an 0-for-14 slump when he connected off Estrada to begin the fifth, his 23rd, but Barney made it 4-2 with an RBI single off Miguel Castro in the bottom half.
Baltimore catcher Caleb Joseph cut it to 4-2 with an RBI single off Tom Koehler in the seventh.
Carlos Ramirez pitched the eighth and Dominic Leone pitched around a leadoff single in the ninth to earn his first career save, and first in five chances this season.
CASTILLO HEADS TO HOSPITAL
Orioles C Welington Castillo left in the second, one inning after taking a foul ball to the groin. Showalter said Castillo was taken to hospital for tests. “’’He was struggling when he came in so we’re going to err on the side of safety,” Showalter said. Caleb Joseph replaced Castillo.
ROCKY ROAD
The Orioles are 27-43 on the road this season. Among AL teams, only the White Sox (22) and Oakland (21) have fewer road victories.
SANCHEZ SHUT DOWN
RHP Aaron Sanchez has been shut down for the season because of a sprained tendon in his right middle finger. Sanchez had previously been bothered by a blister on the same finger. The reigning AL ERA champion, Sanchez finished 1-3 with a 4.25 ERA in eight starts. He did not pitch again following a July 19 start at Boston.
CATCHING THEM LOOKING
Six of Estrada’s strikeouts came on called third strikes.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: OF Craig Gentry (broken right finger) could rejoin the team Tuesday. He will only be available to pinch run initially.
Blue Jays: 3B Josh Donaldson returned as DH after missing the previous three games because of an illness. … OF Jose Bautista got the day off. … C Russell Martin (left oblique) took batting practice and could return this week. … RHP Roberto Osuna and OF Michael Saunders left the team Monday to join their respective families. Both men are about to become fathers.
UP NEXT
Orioles: RHP Dylan Bundy (13-9, 4.12) allowed five runs in four innings against the Yankees in his previous outing, losing for the first time since July 6. Bundy had won five straight decisions.
Blue Jays: RHP Joe Biagini (3-10, 5.29) is 0-2 with a 6.43 ERA in three starts since rejoining Toronto’s rotation.
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