Kyle Gibson became the first Baltimore starter to last eight innings this season, Anthony Santander hit his third home run in two games and the Orioles defeated the visiting Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 on Thursday to take the three-game series.
Cedric Mullins also homered and Adley Rutschman had three hits for the Orioles, who have won five of six and are a season-best 31 games over .500 (79-48).
Gibson (13-7) allowed three runs on six hits in eight innings. He struck out eight and walked one. Felix Bautista pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 33rd save.
Baltimore lost its first two series of the season against American League East teams but is 9-0-2 in 11 series against its division rivals since. The Orioles took the season series from the Blue Jays 10-3.
Toronto starter Jose Berrios (9-9) took his first career loss against Baltimore, giving up five runs on nine hits over six innings while striking out four without a walk. He entered the game 10-0 with a 2.66 ERA in 13 career starts vs. the Orioles.
Both starters retired the first nine batters they faced before Toronto’s Whit Merrifield singled leading off the fourth. Bo Bichette followed with an infield single, and Brandon Belt walked to load the bases. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grounded into a fielder’s choice to score Merrifield, and Bichette scored on George Springer’s sacrifice fly.
Rutschman singled to open the Baltimore fourth. One out later, Santander hit his 24th homer of the season, a 417-foot shot to right, to tie the game 2-2.
In the fifth, Baltimore’s Austin Hays singled leading off and Mullins homered to right off Berrios to make it 4-2. With one out, Adam Frazier and Rutschman singled. Gunnar Henderson then lined a single to right. Frazier scored, but Rutschman was thrown out at third.
With one out in the seventh, Toronto’s Danny Jansen doubled to left-center. Center fielder Mullins bobbled the ball and Jansen tried for third, but Mullins threw a strike to cut him down.
Baltimore’s Ryan Mountcastle went 0-for-4, his on-base streak ending at 28 games.
–Field Level Media
