The Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles made it through a marathon day of baseball on Monday, and not just because they played a doubleheader.
Developments came off the field as well, with trades popping up throughout the day. And the roster shifts might not be finished. The trade deadline comes about a half-hour before the scheduled first pitch on Tuesday when the American League East rivals meet again in Baltimore.
The teams split the twin bill on Monday, with Baltimore winning 11-5 before the Blue Jays took the nightcap 8-4. There was about a 90-minute weather delay in between, adding to the long day at Camden Yards.
Toronto infielder Justin Turner was traded to the Seattle Mariners during the first game. When Turner exited the game before the bottom of the second inning, rookie Addison Barger filled in and bashed his first career home run, a three-run blast in the fifth inning.
The Blue Jays made more moves in the evening, adding right-hander Jake Bloss, outfielder Joey Loperfido and minor league infielder Will Wagner by sending left-hander Yusei Kikuchi to the Houston Astros.
Toronto’s clubhouse might well be feeling the aftershocks of the busy trade day.
“It’s hard, but we have to understand,” Blue Jays designated hitter/first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. said of the player moves.
Guerrero had a big day with seven hits, a home run in each game and three doubles in the nightcap. The Blue Jays have won four of their past five games.
“Everything (is) going my way right now,” Guerrero said. “I’m going to keep going and play hard.”
The Orioles are 2-3 on their seven-game homestand. Sloppy play in the second game of the doubleheader was disturbing, as Baltimore committed three errors and yielded three unearned runs.
“We didn’t play a very good baseball game,” manager Brandon Hyde said.
Baltimore’s starter on Tuesday will be All-Star Corbin Burnes (10-4, 2.45 ERA), a right-hander who has allowed three or fewer runs in each of his past five starts.
Burnes has worked 13 innings combined in two starts against the Blue Jays this year, surrendering a total of two runs in a no-decision and a win. Prior to this year, his only matchup with Toronto came as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2022, and he got the win after surrendering three runs in 7 2/3 innings.
The Blue Jays will counter with right-hander Chris Bassitt (8-9, 3.78 ERA). He lost three of his past four starts, though he has gone at least five innings in 15 consecutive outings.
In his career against the Orioles, Bassitt is 3-2 with a 4.79 ERA in six starts. He has struck out 39 in 35 2/3 innings against Baltimore.
Orioles catcher James McCann sustained an apparent broken nose in the first game on Monday when he was hit in the face by a first-inning pitch, although he stayed in the game. He is expected to see a specialist on Tuesday.
“Just a really, really scary scene,” Hyde said. “It just shows you how tough that guy is. Unbelievably tough.”
–Field Level Media
