TORONTO (AP) - Zach Britton’s second blown save of the season came at a particularly bad time for the slumping Baltimore Orioles.
Richard Urena singled home the winning run off Britton in the ninth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays rallied to beat Baltimore 3-2 on Tuesday night, handing the Orioles their sixth straight loss.
“It’s a loss, and they’re hard anytime,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said.
Tim Beckham homered for the Orioles, who began the day 3 1/2 games behind Minnesota for the second AL wild card berth. Baltimore has lost three straight one-run decisions and is 20-18 in such games.
Facing Orioles closer Britton (2-1), who had recorded the final out of the eighth, Kevin Pillar drew a leadoff walk in the ninth.
“That puts you in a bind right away,” Britton said. :I just didn’t execute after that.”
Pillar went to third on Teoscar Hernandez’s single and scored the tying run one out later when Luke Maile singled off the glove of third baseman Manny Machado. Urena followed with a single to center. Darwin Barney raced around from second and slid home safely ahead of the throw from Adam Jones.
“I just kind of let the inning get away from me, which is pretty frustrating,” Britton said.
Toronto has won four straight for the first time since July 24 to 27. Urena had three hits, but his final one of the night was the biggest.
“Anytime I go up there I just look for a fastball up in the zone,” Urena said. “He gave me one so I put a good swing on it.”
Britton replaced Brad Brach and struck out Kendrys Morales to end the eighth, stranding runners at first and second.
“We wiggled out of the eighth and just couldn’t get it done in the ninth,” Showalter said.
Baltimore has scored 10 total runs over its six-game skid and has been held to two runs or fewer five times.
“They’re pitching well and we’re not swinging the bats well,” Showalter said.
Blue Jays left-hander Tim Mayza (1-0) got one out for his first career win. Toronto opened the scoring in the third when Orioles right fielder Joey Rickard couldn’t corral Justin Smoak’s deep drive to the wall. Maile scored from first on Smoak’s two-out double.
Josh Donaldson hit a leadoff single in the sixth and Smoak walked, but Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy retired the next three Blue Jays batters in order.
Blue Jays right-hander Joe Biagini pitched a career-high eight innings, allowing two runs on six hits.
“A dominating performance,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. “Good for him, he needed that.”
Bundy allowed one run and five hits in six innings.
Baltimore tied it in the seventh when Trey Mancini doubled and scored on Mark Trumbo’s two-out single to center. Beckham homered off Biagini in the eighth, but the Orioles couldn’t hold on.
LONG BALL LEADERS
The Orioles have 220 homers this season. That’s second only to Texas, who entered play Tuesday with 221.
MANCINI SHOWS OFF ARM
Orioles LF Trey Mancini threw out Urena trying to stretch a single into a double in the eighth. “He wants to be an all-around player,” Showalter said. “It’s been fun to watch.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: OF Craig Gentry (broken right finger) was activated off the 10-day DL. … C Wellington Castillo, who ended up in hospital for tests after taking a foul tip to the groin Monday, said he felt much better Tuesday. It was the second such painful incident this season for Castillo, who landed on the 10-day DL after taking a foul tip to the groin in May.
Blue Jays: C Russell Martin (left oblique) was activated off the 10-day DL. Martin, who has been out since Aug. 11, is expected to start Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Orioles: RHP Kevin Gausman (10-10, 4.99) pitched six shutout innings against the Blue Jays on Sept. 1 but didn’t get a decision in Baltimore’s 1-0 victory.
Blue Jays: RHP Marcus Stroman (11-7, 3.18) was knocked out of a Sept. 2 start at Baltimore in the second inning when he was struck on the right elbow by a Trumbo line drive. He returned to face Detroit on Sept. 8, allowing four runs in six innings.
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