Orioles Bullpen Collapses as Blue Jays Walk It Off

Despite an early lead, the Orioles fall to the Blue Jays in Toronto by a final score of 5-4. Orioles fall to 69-79 on the season.

Photo by Charles Brock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

September 13, 2025

Blue Jays 5, Orioles 4

The Baltimore Orioles dropped their second consecutive game to the Toronto Blue Jays by a score of five to four. The Orioles jumped Max Scherzer for two runs in the first and scored a run in the eighth and ninth innings. However, the Blue Jays’ late-game heroic standard continued as Yennier Cano gave up three runs in the bottom of the ninth, giving Baltimore their 79th loss of the year.

Blue Jays – Orioles Game Summary

The Orioles started hot with Jackson Holliday extending a 14-game on-base streak with a single. Dylan Beavers followed with one of his three walks in the game, extending his very own on-base streak to eleven. After a Gunnar Henderson double off the right field wall scored Holliday, Tyler O’Neill grounded out to third, scoring Beavers to put the Orioles up two early.

Tomoyuki Sugano took the start for Baltimore and battled through a 113 mph line drive off his foot to get through four unscathed by the Blue Jay offense. The only scoring off Sugano came in the form of a fifth-inning leadoff home run by Addison Barger. Sugano finished his day giving up only the one run through six innings and striking out four.

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On the other side of the pitching matchup, Max Scherzer settled in after his shaky first, retiring each of the last nine Orioles he faced. He was relieved by Tommy Nance and later Eric Lauer, who helped to retire seven more consecutive Baltimore bats.

In the top half of the eighth and ninth, the Orioles’ bats scraped across some insurance via a Samuel Basallo RBI double to left in the eighth, and a Coby Mayo home run in the ninth to bring the lead to 4-2.

After Keegan Akin started the ninth inning with an out and allowed a bunt single to Daulton Varsho, Yennier Cano was called upon for the save. Cano gave up three consecutive singles to Ernie Clement, Joey Loperfido, and Andres Gimenez to tie the game. Then, after George Springer reached on a catcher’s interference, Alejandro Kirk ended the game with a sacrifice fly to centerfield.

What Went Right For The Orioles

Jumped Scherzer Early

Coming into the game, Max Scherzer had a 7.71 ERA in the first inning this season. The Oriole scouting report clearly focused on getting to the future Hall of Famer in the first frame, putting two across before the Blue Jays stepped to the plate.

Tomoyuki Sugano Shines

Sugano came into his third start against the Blue Jays this season, having gone 8 2/3 with only one strikeout combined in his previous two appearances. On Saturday, he went six innings, striking out four to bring his season total to 100. The 35-year-old rookie retired the leadoff man in all but one inning and only allowed one run.

Possible Turning Point For Coby Mayo

Coby Mayo played a full baseball game against Toronto. He singled off of Scherzer in a two-strike count in the second. Mayo also clubbed a home run in the ninth for his eighth of the season. Not only did he shine offensively, but he also showed real promise and improvement defensively at first base.

What Went Wrong For The Orioles

Sleepy Bats In Middle Innings

A day after only getting one hit after the third inning, the Orioles’ offense slept through most of the game. While they put two across in the eighth and ninth, Blue Jays pitching retired sixteen straight at one point.

The Bullpen

The Oriole bullpen faltered late for the second consecutive day. Rico Garcia was the only Oriole reliever not to allow multiple hits. The starter, Sugano, threw 63 pitches through six. The bullpen combined threw 61 through three. Garcia, Kade Strowd, and Keegan Akin all got credit for holds. The showing from the bullpen was less than positive.

Orioles manager Tony Mansolino defended his decision to go to the bullpen in the seventh despite Sugano’s low pitch count: “You’ve got Vlad leading off the top of the 7th, we’re going for the win right there. Just kind of knowing that lineup, third time through, it’s an important game for us to try to win a game and stay in this series”.

Looking Ahead

Baltimore looks to win the season series against the Blue Jays in their last matchup of the season. Albert Suarez (2-0, 2.08 ERA) will toe the rubber against Shane Bieber (2-1, 4.30 ERA) in Toronto at 1:37 PM Eastern.