| Advertisement |
BALTIMORE-- When last they met, the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays also went into extra innings tied at two. The Blue Jays won that game back in October -- the American League wild-card playoff -- on an 11th-inning homer. This time, it was the Orioles' turn.
Advertisement
Mark Trumbo hit a solo homer off Jason Grilli with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning to give Baltimore a 3-2 victory over Toronto on Opening Day Monday afternoon.
Trumbo crushed a 1-2 pitch into the left-field seats off Grilli (0-1), the sixth walk-off homer of the designated hitter's career. Trumbo also noticed how much this game was like the last one.
"It did seem to have a similar feel," he said. "I'm glad this one turned out in our favor."
Grilli wasn't thinking too much about the similarities between last year's playoff game and this one. He felt more concerned about leaving a pitch right where the man who led the major leagues last year with 47 homers could belt it.
"I just left it fat," Grilli said. "It was obviously not a good (pitch). You make a mistake and you pay for it. He did what he was supposed to do with it. I tip my cap."
After that big season last year, Baltimore re-signed Trumbo to a new three-year contract over the winter. But curiously, Trumbo did not hit a homer in spring training. That did not bother manager Buck Showalter at all.
In fact, he barely gave it a second thought.
"He hit some in BP," Showalter said. "It never even crossed my mind. Can you imagine me walking (over) to Mark after hitting X number of home runs last year, down in spring training, (and saying) 'Mark, what's wrong with your power? He'd give me that, 'Really?' "
The Orioles now have scored seven straight Opening Day victories. They've also taken 14 of their last 17 openers but they needed all the tools that got them into the playoffs last year -- power, good bullpen pitching and a solid defense. Mychal Givens, Brad Brach, Zach Britton and Tyler Wilson combined to throw 5 2/3 shutout innings, scattering six hits.
Wilson (1-0) got the victory after throwing a scoreless top of the 11th, thanks in part to a great play from third baseman Manny Machado, who made a diving stop of a Devon Travis shot near the bag. Machado then threw him out from his knees, drawing a standing ovation at Camden Yards.
Both teams threatened in the early innings before the Orioles took a 2-0 lead in the third on an RBI single from Chris Davis. Trumbo followed with a run-scoring double off Toronto starter Marco Estrada.
Toronto then scored once in the top of the fifth with some help from Baltimore starter Kevin Gausman. He walked three Jays, including Kendrys Morales with the bases loaded and two outs. That scored Kevin Pillar and cut the lead to 2-1.
The Jays tied it in the sixth when Ezequiel Carrera lined a two-out double to right off Givens, which drove in former Oriole Steve Pearce, who singled against Gausman leading off.
Gausman allowed two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings and struck out four but also walked four. Estrada retired the last 10 batters he faced and gave up two runs on five hits in six innings.
The Blue Jays retired 15 straight Orioles from the end of the third into the bottom of the eighth inning. Baltimore had two runs on five hits in the first three innings and came up with several scoring chances but could not break the game open -- which allowed the Blue Jays to tie it a few innings later and set up Trumbo's game-winning shot in the 11th.
"This is one of those places you don't feel good when they get the last at-bats," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "They are probably the top power hitting team in the game, top to bottom."
NOTES: LHP Wade Miley, on the disabled list retroactive to March 30 with an upper respiratory infection, is going to pitch in a simulated game at Double-A Bowie Tuesday. If all goes well, that could put him in line to go on Sunday for the Orioles versus the Yankees. ... Showalter said after the game that if RHP Darren O'Day (possible flu-like symptoms) isn't feeling right by Wednesday, they'll consider putting him on the disabled list. ... With RHP Roberto Osuna (neck) beginning 2017 on the disabled list for a short time, the Toronto closer will either be RHP Jason Grilli and RHP Joe Biagini.
