TORONTO (AP) - Even with the season in its final week, and extra reinforcements on hand, the Baltimore Orioles’ bullpen needed a break.
Dylan Bundy made sure they got one.
Trey Mancini had a career-high five hits, DJ Stewart hit a two-run homer and the Orioles beat the Toronto Blue Jays 11-4 Tuesday night.
Dwight Smith Jr. and Austin Wynns each hit solo home runs for the Orioles. Baltimore batters have gone deep at least once in 18 straight games, two shy of the 1998 club record.
With one more victory or a loss by Detroit, the Orioles (51-106) can avoid having baseball’s worst record for the second straight season.
Mancini, named AL Player of the Week on Monday, extended his hitting streak to 11 games. He doubled and scored in the first, doubled in the third, singled in the fifth, hit an RBI single in the sixth, and singled and scored in the eighth.
“That’s impressive,” Bundy said of Mancini’s five-hit night. “He’s tearing the cover off the ball right now.”
Bundy (7-14) allowed two runs and three hits in seven innings to win for the first time since Aug. 25.
Manager Brandon Hyde said he was grateful for Bundy’s strong effort, which came one day after the Orioles used 10 pitchers in a 15-inning loss.
“There were so many guys, obviously, that I wanted to stay away from tonight,” Hyde said. “Even in September, we’re a little bit short just because of the amount of pitchers we used last night and the workload they’ve had recently.”
Hyde intended to let Bundy work the eighth, but changed his mind after eight Orioles batters came to the plate in a lengthy top half of the inning. Lefty Tanner Scott worked the eighth and righty Taylor Scott finished.
Even so, Hyde was still plenty grateful for Bundy’s big night.
“Huge for us, huge for our bullpen,” Hyde said. “It allows the bullpen guys to breathe and it allows the bullpen guys to get proper rest.”
Bundy is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in four starts against Toronto. He threw 86 pitches, walked two and struck out six.
“You’ve got to give him credit,” Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said. “He threw strikes with the lead and that’s what you need to do when you have a lead.”
Scheduled to make his fourth big league appearance, Blue Jays rookie left-hander Anthony Kay was scratched because of back soreness about two hours before the game and replaced by lefty Thomas Pannone.
Kay’s injury was ill-timed for the Blue Jays, also thin in the bullpen after using 10 pitchers themselves Monday.
Baltimore jumped on Pannone (3-6) with four hits and three runs in the first, his only inning of work. Renato Nuñez hit a two-run double and Smith added an RBI single.
“It was big for us to come back and respond today,” Mancini said. “From the first inning, we kind of set the tone.”
Smith and Wynns both hit solo homers off Wilmer Font in the fourth and Stewart connected off right-hander Brock Stewart in the sixth.
Bundy retired eight straight before Derek Fisher hit a two-out homer in the third, the record 300th home run off Baltimore pitching this season.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: SS Bo Bichette (concussion) missed his fifth straight game. Bichette left last Thursday’s game at Baltimore after being hit on the helmet by a pitch.
HE’LL BE BACK?
Montoyo said he hadn’t decided whether Kay would be ruled out for the remainder of the season.
“Hopefully he gets to pitch again,” Montoyo said.
FOUR FOR FIVE
Mancini’s five-hit game was Baltimore’s fourth of the season, matching a team record. The Orioles also had four five-hit games in 1966 and 1974.
DOUBLED UP
The Orioles reached double figures in runs for the second straight game. It’s the second time this season they’ve done so. Baltimore also scored 10 or more June 28 and 29 against Cleveland.
UP NEXT
Orioles: RHP Gabriel Ynoa (1-9, 5.65) has allowed six home runs in four September starts.
Blue Jays: RHP Jacob Waguespack (4-5, 4.75) faces Baltimore for the first time. The rookie is winless in his past six outings.
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