BALTIMORE – The Toronto Blue Jays did just about everything necessary to end their miserable losing streak.
They got a fine pitching performance from ace Roy Halladay, reached double figures in runs for the first time since May 6 and twice had an apparently secure lead.
And still, the Baltimore Orioles rallied for an unlikely 12-10 victory Wednesday.
Nolan Reimold hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the 11th inning, providing the Orioles with their first three-game winning streak of the season and extending the Blue Jays’ skid to nine games.
“Been a long time since we had a lot of fun like that,” said Baltimore manager Dave Trembley, shortly after Reimold had his post-game interview interrupted by a shaving-cream pie in the face, courtesy of teammate Robert Andino.
Baltimore trailed 8-3 when Halladay left after seven innings, and 10-8 after Aaron Hill hit a two-run homer in the top of the 11th.
After Luke Scott hit an RBI single off Brian Wolfe (1-1) to put runners at the corners with one out in the 11th, Reimold sent a 1-1 fastball over the wall in left-centre, his fourth homer in 13 games since being recalled from triple-A Norfolk.
“I didn’t see the replay, how much of the plate it got, but he definitely went down and got it,” Wolfe said.
That finished the worst road swing in Blue Jays history – three losses apiece in Boston, Atlanta and Baltimore. Toronto never before went winless on a road trip of at least nine games.
During the previous eight defeats, the Blue Jays totalled 13 runs. They got plenty of offence this time, but the result was familiar.
“This is one we had a chance to win. We were leading. So this is about the worst lost we had on this trip,” Toronto manager Cito Gaston said. “We’re leading, we have Doc on the mound and we had a five-run lead.
“You’re supposed to win those kind of games.”
Danys Baez (4-1) pitched three innings for the Orioles, who got a home run from Scott and a career-high four hits from Andino in completing a three-game sweep. Baltimore was 0-24 when trailing after seven innings.
“It was just such a great, great atmosphere in our dugout today,” Trembley said. “I’m glad we got the win for the team.”
After Halladay allowed eight hits and left with a five-run lead, the Blue Jays bullpen ruined his chance to become the first nine-game winner in the majors.
“We know Doc goes out there every fifth day and does his thing on the mound. We just try to pick up what’s left, and usually, it’s not a lot,” Wolfe said. “Today, we needed to pick up two innings and we couldn’t get out of it.”
Baltimore began the eighth by loading the bases with no outs against Jesse Carlson. After Reimold struck out, Chad Moeller was hit by a pitch to force in a run.
Andino followed with an RBI single, and Brian Roberts greeted Scott Downs with a sacrifice fly. Adam Jones followed with a run-scoring single, and Nick Markakis tied it with an RBI double.
Jones, however, was cut down at the plate trying to score the go-ahead run.
In the 11th, Hill homered after Marco Scutaro hit a one-out single. The home run was Toronto’s first in eight games and 78 innings.
But Baltimore rallied again in the bottom half, leaving the Blue Jays with their longest road losing streak since a 10-game run in 1979.
“I think the hitters did everything they could do today,” Gaston said. “At least you guys have a different story to write.”
Toronto used a six-run fourth inning to go up 7-2. A single and two walks loaded the bases for Kevin Millar, who hit a two-run single.
One out later, Jose Bautista doubled in a run, and Scutaro chased starter Rich Hill with a two-run double. Alex Rios concluded the uprising with an RBI single off Brian Bass.
Jones hit a run-scoring single in the fifth, but Toronto’s Vernon Wells answered with a sacrifice fly in the sixth.
Notes: The Orioles placed RHP Koji Uehara (hamstring) on the 15-day DL to make room for Scott, who returned from a shoulder injury. Scott has three homers in 12 career at-bats against Halladay. … Halladay is 6-0 since April 21, but has two straight no-decisions.
