NBC on Yahoo SportsOrioles beat Blue Jays 5-2, 1 win away from AL East title
BALTIMORE –- Twenty-four hours from now, the Orioles hope to be celebrating. Their first American League East title in 17 years is one win away.
The Orioles, who haven’t won a division title since 1997, haven’t clinched an AL East title at home with a win since 1969, the first year of divisional play.
“It’s pretty special to come in here tomorrow and have a chance to do that,” manager Buck Showalter said. “I’ve had a lot of sleepless nights for a lot of reasons, but tonight I look forward to losing that sleep. It’s been a long hard grind to have that opportunity and I’m looking forward to the chance to see our guys get a chance tomorrow. We’ve worked hard for this opportunity tomorrow.”
The Orioles’ 5-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays before 25,061 at Oriole Park on Monday reduced their magic number to one. They could clinch the American League East on Tuesday. For now, they’re assured of a tie.
The night didn’t start out well.
The first three batters against Wei-Yin Chen all singled: Jose Reyes, Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. Encarnacion’s base hit scored Reyes. After Chen struck out Danny Valencia and Dioner Navarro, John Mayberry lined to right and Nick Markakis dove to catch it for the third out.
In the bottom of the first, Markakis led off against Marcus Stroman with a single. Alejandro De Aza doubled him to third. Markakis scored on Adam Jones’ roller, and De Aza came home when Nelson Cruz hit into a double play, and the Orioles led 2-1.
The Orioles (90-60) added a run in the third when Jones reached on a bloop single. Stroman’s wild pitch sent him to second and he scored on Cruz’s single.
Kelly Johnson walked to lead off the fourth, and Ryan Flaherty blasted his seventh home run of the year to right for a 5-1 lead.
Reyes led off the fifth with a single and moved to second on an infield out, and came home on Danny Valencia’s two-out single in the fifth.
As Reyes slid home, Caleb Joseph stepped on his hand, and he walked away from the plate angry.
“It all happened so fast. All I knew is we had a play at the plate. I tried to put myself in a position at home plate there and we’ve been communicating a lot of things and trying to get in the right position and I felt like I was in a good position. The throw came in and I tried to make a tag,” Joseph said.
Chen (16-4) left in favor of Brad Brach with two outs and two in the sixth. He allowed two runs on nine hits in 5 2/3, walking one and striking out seven.
With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Stroman threw over the head of Joseph, eliciting a warming from home plate umpire Ted Barrett. Several Orioles screamed at Stroman from the dugout and after the inning, Flaherty stood alone in the infield yelling into the Toronto dugout.
“There’s life outside of baseball, you know? I have a wife and a baby on the way. Those are the type of things that go through your head when that kind of stuff happens. I am glad it didn’t hit me. So, yeah, there’s a code. Every baseball player knows there’s a code. I’m not the judge here to judge intent or any of that stuff. I’m just glad it didn’t hit me,” Joseph said.
Showalter was displeased with Barrett’s warning, feeling the Orioles were put at a disadvantage.
“If you look at the history of what's going on, it should never happen, especially at the head,” Showalter said. “Let’s face it, [Stroman] is 23 years old, emotional, you see him coming off the mound doing his little whatever.
“I'm sure, I'll let Toronto take care of that and I'm sure the league office will do what need to be done. Caleb made a perfectly legal play the way it's supposed to be done. I'm still trying to figure out what they're mad about. Caleb is right where he was supposed to be.”
Stroman (10-6), who gave up five runs on nine hits was removed after six innings.
Brach, Tommy Hunter and Zach Britton, who got save No. 35 in the ninth combined for a scoreless 3 1/3 innings, and the Orioles got to a win away from the division title.
“Back in February, set out on this mission, believed we could do it. The light’s there at the end of the tunnel, just got to go out and get it,” Flaherty said.
NOTES: Showalter tied Billy Martin for 36th place among managers with 1,253 wins. … Ubaldo Jimenez (4-9, 4.96) starts against Drew Hutchinson(10-11, 4.36) on Tuesday night.
