Orioles Unleash Early Onslaught, Outlast Blue Jays 7-4

The Baltimore Orioles came to Rogers Centre on Friday night and reminded the Toronto Blue Jays exactly why you can’t afford to spot a team like this one an early lead. What unfolded was a masterclass in aggressive baseball, a five-run second inning that essentially decided the game before most fans had finished their first beer, and a reminder that Max Scherzer‘s legendary resume doesn’t exempt him from getting shelled by a hungry division rival.

Dylan Beavers set the tone immediately, launching a leadoff home run in the first inning to put Baltimore up 1-0. But that was merely an appetizer for the offensive feast to come.

The second inning is where the Blue Jays’ pitching staff simply collapsed. Heston Kjerstad’s RBI single scored Gunnar Henderson and loaded the bases. Then Colton Cowser delivered a two-run double down the left field line. Before Scherzer could catch his breath, Beavers stepped up again and rifled a two-run single through the right side, making it 6-1. Five runs on four hits, and the game was effectively over before we hit the midway point.

Scherzer Gets His Comeuppance

Look, Max Scherzer is one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history. That’s not hyperbole, it’s fact. But on Friday night at Rogers Centre, he looked like a guy running on fumes. Five innings, seven hits, six earned runs, and just three strikeouts against a team that wasn’t even particularly patient at the plate. The Orioles swung early and often, and Scherzer simply didn’t have the stuff to punish them for it. That’s what happens when age catches up with even the most decorated arms in the game.

Bassitt Does His Job

Chris Bassitt wasn’t spectacular, but he was exactly what the Orioles needed. Five innings of work, allowing just two runs on six hits while striking out five. He gave Baltimore’s bullpen a manageable situation and let them close it out, which they did with Rico Garcia earning his eighth save of the season with a clean 10th inning.

The Blue Jays made a spirited attempt to make things interesting. Kazuma Okamoto, who’s having himself one hell of a season, crushed a solo shot in the fourth to make it 6-1. They scratched out another run in the sixth on an Andrés Giménez groundout. Brett Bateman, making his mark as a rookie, added some late-game drama with a two-run homer in the ninth off Garcia, his first career home run. It was the kind of moment that would normally spark some hope, but it was far too little far too late.

Beavers finished the night 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs, doing exactly what a cleanup hitter should do when his team is rolling. Coby Mayo added his own home run in the seventh to pad the lead, another reminder that this Orioles lineup has legitimate firepower up and down the card.

The Blue Jays remain competitive, but on Friday night in Toronto, Baltimore simply wanted it more and executed better when it mattered. That’s not luck. That’s good baseball.