Grichuk breaks tie in 8th, Blue Jays beat Orioles 5-4

By IAN HARRISON

TORONTO (AP) Randal Grichuk hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the eighth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-4 on Wednesday night.

Marcus Semien hit a solo home run and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had two hits and two RBIs to help the Blue Jays take two of three from the Orioles.

Tim Mayza (5-2) worked one inning and Jordan Romano finished for his 15th save in 16 chances.

Bo Bichette singled off Dillon Tate (0-5) to begin the eighth and Teoscar Hernandez was hit by a pitch. Both runners advanced on Alejandro Kirk's deep fly to center before Marcos Diplan came on to face Grichuk, who knocked in Bichette with a fly ball to center. Hernandez was thrown out trying to advance to third.

Semien opened the scoring with a one-out homer in the first, his 33rd.

Blue Jays left-hander Steven Matz helped the Orioles take the lead by issuing back-to-back walks with the bases loaded in the second.

Matz allowed two runs and five hits in five innings. He struck out five and matched a season high with four walks.

Matz didn't walk a batter in either of his final two outings in August, when he was 2-1 with a 1.30 ERA in five starts.

Hernandez tied it with an RBI single in the fourth, and Gurriel added a two-out, two-run single.

Both hits came off Baltimore right-hander Matt Harvey, who allowed four runs and six hits in four innings. Harvey walked one and failed to strike out a batter, the first time that's happened in 27 starts this season.

Austin Wynns cut it to 4-3 with an RBI single off Tayler Saucedo in the sixth. Trey Mancini tied it with an RBI double off Joakim Soria in the seventh.

SEPTEMBER CALL-UPS

Blue Jays: Recalled RHP Nate Pearson and selected RHP Bryan Baker from Triple-A Buffalo.

Orioles: Recalled RHP Dusten Knight and LHP Alexander Wells from Triple-A Norfolk.

DONE DEAL

Toronto sent two minor leaguers, catcher J.J. D'Orazio and LHP Yaifer Perdomo, to Arizona to complete the July 30 trade for Soria.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Blue Jays: George Springer started at DH after being replaced by a pinch runner in the seventh inning of Tuesday's loss. Springer returned to the lineup Monday after missing 13 games with a sprained left knee. He went 1 for 4 with a single. . The Blue Jays reinstated RHP Anthony Castro (right ulnar nerve irritation) from the injured list and optioned him to Triple-A.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays: Toronto had not announced a starter for the opener of a pivotal three-game home series against fellow wild-card contender Oakland that begins Friday. LHP Sean Manea (8-9, 3.97 ERA) will pitch for the Athletics.

Orioles: LHP John Means (5-6, 3.76 ERA) starts Friday as Baltimore opens a three-game series at Yankee Stadium. LHP Nestor Cortes (2-2, 2.77) goes for New York.

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Updated September 1, 2021