Once more unto the breach...
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Dishonour not your mothers; now attest
The Jays didn't see the Orioles until the middle of June, by which time they were already playing much better than the team that had stumbled through the first part of the season. After starting the year 14-24, they had begun to steer the ship in the proper direction, and took a 26-35 mark into the Dome by the Lake.
June 13: Baltimore 1 Toronto 11 - The Jays busted this one open in the fifth when Logan Gillaspie came pout of the pen with a couple of runners aboard, and the Orioles down 3-0. With two outs, five straight hits plated six more runs and it was all over.
June 14: Baltimore 6 Toronto 5 - A two run HR by Mountcastle put the Orioles up 3-1 but Chapman tied it up with one of his own. But Kikuchi instantly gave up a go-ahead HR to Hays. The Jays got the tying run aboard in the eighth, but Jorge Lopez shut them down.
June 15: Baltimore 6 Toronto 7 - The Jays took a quick five run lead, but Yimi Garcia (of all people) couldn't hold it - with two out in the eighth, he was suddenly touched up for doubles by Mullins and Hays and a game-tying HR from (who else?) Mountcastle. We went to extras. Cimber stranded the Zombie Runner in the top of the inning, and Guerrero cashed him in the bottom half.
June 16: Baltimore 10 Toronto 2 - Gausman's original team kicked him all around the yard, scoring six runs in the third inning to put this one away early.
The Blue Jays didn't make their first visit to Camden Yards until early August. The third game was rained out, to be made up in September, leaving a two game set that did not go well for the visitors.
Aug 8: Toronto 4 Baltimore 7 - Kikuchu gave up a three run HR to Urias in the first, and back-to-back HRs to Santander and Mountcastle in the third.
Aug 9: Toronto 5 Baltimore 6 - Manoah didn't have it on this day, falling behind 3-1 early, and working out of trouble all day. But he fought his way through five, and the Jays jumped in front on Bichette's three run HR off Bryan Baker. But in the eighth, Rough Ned Odor smacked a two run HR off Yimi Garcia, and Bautista closed it out.
By the time the Orioles made their return visit to Toronto the following week, they had become a positive annoyance. They sported a 59-55 record and had closed to just 2.5 games behind the second place Jays.
Aug 15: Baltimore 7 Toronto 3 - Mountcastle hit yet another HR off Kikuchi in the third, and the Orioles tacked on three more in the fourth.
Aug 16: Baltimore 4 Toronto 2 - Springer singled and Guerrero homered to start the game, and the Jays put their bats away for the rest of the day. Manoah was absolutely dominant until Mullins and Rutschman suddenly went back-to-back on him with two out in the fifth. They pushed together two more in the next inning, and now stood just half a game behind the Jays, who had now fallen into third place.
Aug 17: Baltimore 1 Toronto 6 - A tremendous pitcher's duel between Voth (six shutout innings of two-hitter) and Stripling (perfect for the first six.) The starters were both gone when the Jays kicked around three Orioles relievers for six runs in the seventh, with the big blows being two run doubles from Espinal and Kirk.
And was it just last week that the Jays returned to play four in Camden. They held a 2.5 game lead on the Orioles, and proceedings began with a double-header to make up for the June rainout.
Sep 5 (1): Toronto 7 Baltimore 3 - The Jays went ahead in the third, and the game stayed close until RBI singles from Springer, Guerrero, and Bichette put it away.
Sep 5 (2): Toronto 8 Baltimore 4 - Bo Bichette hit three HRs and drove in five, to make life very easy for Jose Berrios.
Sep 6: Toronto 6 Baltimore 9 - Mitch White took a 3-0 lead into the third and completely imploded - the Orioles scored five times, and every time the Jays got within one they'd add another. They tacked on three more in the eighth when an exhausted Trevor Richards simply couldn't get the third out of his inning.
Sep 7: Toronto 4 Baltimore 1 - Manoah pitched eight brutally efficient ininngs of three hitter, and the Jays scored three runs in the fifth on three singles, a walk, and a Rutschman error.
Baltimore still leads the season series 7-6. This must not stand.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot:
Matchups!
Fri 16 Sep - Lyles (10-10, 4.62) vs Richards (3-2, 5.59)
Sat 17 Sep - Bradish (3-6, 5.01) vs Berrios (10-5, 5.07)
Sun 18 Sep - Kremer (7-5, 3.34) vs Manoah (14-7, 2.43)