HEADLINE

Losing skid over, Jays seek series win over Orioles

Field Level Media

June 13, 2019 at 7:03 am.

The Toronto Blue Jays have struggled at the plate throughout the 2019 season, but they found some offense Tuesday against the Orioles. They will look to keep the bats hot as they aim to win the rubber game of a three-game series on Thursday night at Baltimore.

The Blue Jays came into play Wednesday with a major league-worst .218 batting average, but Toronto got a grand slam from Rowdy Tellez and three hits from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in an 8-6 victory.

Toronto finished with 11 hits and went 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position while snapping a five-game winning streak. Tellez belted his second career grand slam, and the Jays fought off a late Baltimore comeback bid.

Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo wants his young team to not fly too high on the good times or too low on the bad ones.

“If you can be even-keeled in baseball, that’s the best thing for you as a player,” he told Sportsnet. “(Toronto’s younger players) are like that, and you can’t teach that — they already have it. That’s why I think they’re going to be good, because of that trait.”

The Jays also needed to make a few pitching moves on Wednesday.

Right-hander Jordan Romano, born in Canada, was called up from Triple-A Buffalo to take the spot of Ken Giles. The Toronto closer was placed on the 10-day injured list due to right elbow inflammation.

Giles told MLB.com that he’s not even worried about it, and that he and Montoya expect him to be ready when eligible to come off the IL on June 19.

Toronto moved right-hander Clay Buchholz (right shoulder inflammation) to the 60-day IL, clearing a spot on the 40-man roster for Romano, who made his major league debut Wednesday. Romano, 26, retired all three batters he faced, striking out the first two.

The Orioles had pitched well over the past week before Wednesday. Baltimore’s five pitchers walked six and threw two wild pitches, increasing the Jays’ chances.

The walks especially helped Toronto in the six-run fifth inning that proved to be the difference.

“They have to learn to figure it out,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said of his pitchers. “It’s up to them, (but) I think we are getting better. I think we are improving.”

Right-hander Gabriel Ynoa (0-2, 4.96 ERA) starts for Baltimore in the series finale against Toronto right-hander Marcus Stroman (3-8, 3.31).

Ynoa, who entered the rotation when Dan Straily was moved back to the bullpen recently, has given the Orioles three decent starts so far. His latest outing was Friday, when he gave up three runs on three hits in six innings against the Houston Astros while taking a no-decision.

This will be his first career appearance against the Blue Jays.

Stroman often has pitched well this season, but the weak Toronto offense simply hasn’t given him enough support. The Jays have scored two runs or fewer in eight of his 14 starts.

He is 4-5 with a 3.52 ERA in 12 games, including 11 starts, versus the Orioles in his career.