BALTIMORE—The Orioles led both of Saturday’s games entering the seventh inning and lost each — the second by nine runs. On Sunday, they were behind by five runs five batters into the game, and things only got worse from there.
The Toronto Blue Jays, who scored 11 runs in each of Saturday’s games, doubled that total on Sunday and routed the Orioles, 22-7, before an announced crowd of 8,474 at Camden Yards. On a football Sunday, the Orioles provided a football score.
And the Blue Jays scored an astounding 44 runs in 23 innings on Saturday and Sunday, including innings of 11 and 10 runs. The 11-run inning in Saturday’s second game came after the Blue Jays hadn’t gotten a hit in the first six innings. The Blue Jays were off and running from the outset on Sunday, making the Orioles’ seven runs look puny.
“We’ve swung the bats pretty well,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “We’re just not pitching well against a good lineup. The game was over early. We had a tough time getting them out.”
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Toronto (80-63) hit two grand slams in the first three innings. Lourdes Gurriel, who drove in a career-high seven runs with two homers and a single, and Teoscar Hernández hit the grand slams. Gurriel’s came in the first when Oriole starter Zac Lowther allowed a leadoff single, followed by two walks and a hit batter.
“With good hitters, I wasn’t attacking them,” Lowther said. “I was pitching kind of scared, just not attacking them to good zones. With a lineup like that, you have to get ahead and you have to attack, and I wasn’t doing it.”
After a five-run first, the Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his 44th home run in the second. In the third, after Lowther walked Gurriel, he was replaced by Spenser Watkins, who rejoined the team between games of Saturday’s doubleheader.
Watkins faced eight batters and allowed all of them to reach, and seven to score. Breyvic Valera, who had an RBI single, was tagged out in a rundown. Hernandez’s grand slam was the big hit in a 10-run inning. Jake Lamb also homered.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Orioles are the third team to allow 10 or more runs in an inning in consecutive games; the Arizona Diamondbacks last did it on June 15th-16th, 2005. Also, the Blue Jays became the first team to score 27 runs in a four-inning span. The Orioles allowed multiple grand slams in the same game for the third time in club history and gave up 22 or more runs for the fifth time.
Watkins was replaced by Mike Baumann, who served up Gurriel’s second home run in the fifth. Baumann, who was strong in relief of Alexander Wells in Tuesday’s game when he allowed an unearned run on two hits in 3 2/3 innings, was tagged for six runs in three innings.
Eric Hanhold, recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday morning, became the 59th player used by the Orioles this season, setting a franchise record. Hanhold allowed two runs in 1 2/3 innings.
“It’s just tough all around,” Lowther said of the staff’s day. “Those are really good friends of mine and good teammates. If I don’t do well, so be it, but it kind of sucks seeing everyone not have their best day.”
Ryan Mountcastle homered for the Orioles in the third against Steven Matz (12-7). It was Mountcastle’s 28th, equaling Cal Ripken Jr.’s 1982 record for most home runs by an Oriole rookie.
“What a great accomplishment,” Hyde said. “Your rookie year to be on a list with some of the greatest players of all time. It’s really, really cool and well deserved. Put a lot of work in, really happy with how he dealt with adversity after the first month, made some great adjustments and is just putting together an outstanding rookie campaign.”
Austin Wynns had three RBIs on his third home run in the seventh and a two-run single in the second. Anthony Santander hit his 17th home run in the sixth.
Notes: Centerfielder Cedric Mullins was removed from the game after five innings. … Alexander Wells (1-2, 7.15 ERA), John Means (5-7, 3.42) and Chris Ellis (1-0, 2.08) are scheduled to pitch for Orioles against the New York Yankees after an offday on Monday. The Yankees haven’t announced their starters. … Trey Mancini was given the day off.
Minor league update: Kyle Brnovich allowed an unearned run on two hits in five innings as Double-A Bowie beat Harrisburg, 4-1. Brnovich (2-1) struck out five and walked two. Rightfielder Zach Watson hit his 11th home run and leftfielder Shayne Fontana hit his third.
Shortstop Gunnar Henderson hit a three-run home run, his ninth, to account for High-A Aberdeen’s runs in its 5-3 loss to Wilmington. Henderson is hitting .230.
Jean Pinto allowed two runs on four hits in six innings as Low-A Delmarva beat Fredericksburg, 4-3. Pinto struck out six and walked one. Centerfielder Reed Trimble had two RBIs.
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