TORONTO — The Blue Jays are going to see Adley Rutschman in their nightmares pretty soon, if they aren’t already.
Rutschman entered Friday’s game with a .942 career OPS against the Orioles’ division rivals from north of the border, and he reinforced that track record, haunting Toronto by going 4 for 4 with a solo home run, two doubles, a single and a walk to help Baltimore erase a two-run deficit and sprint to a 13-3 victory.
Rutschman came to the plate in the ninth with the opportunity to triple for the cycle and hit a line drive to right-center field that might have had a chance, but he settled for a double to become the first Orioles hitter to reach base five times and record at least five RBIs since Nelson Cruz went 4 for 5 with two home runs and a triple on Sept. 7, 2014 against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Orioles (31-33) won for the 10th time in their past 14 games and moved to within two games of the .500 mark for the first time since May 1. They also put themselves in a position to take sole possession of the third wild-card spot in the American League pending the results of the Athletics and Texas Rangers.
Brandon Young started opposite Blue Jays playoff hero Trey Yesavage for the second straight outing and this time outdueled him, logging his third straight quality start with three runs allowed over 6 1/3 innings. Yesavage lasted 5 2/3 before the Orioles chased him from the game as part of a five-run sixth inning.
Rutschman, who also threw out a runner from behind the plate for his 12th caught stealing of the season, took Yesavage deep in the first inning for the first regular-season home run the right-hander has allowed in his brief MLB career. Rutschman stepped up again in the sixth and roped a double that ignited the Orioles’ rally.
Jeremiah Jackson pinch hit for the injured Samuel Basallo and collected an RBI single before Coby Mayo launched a two-run home run to force Yesavage out of the contest with six runs charged against him. Basallo started at designated hitter and went 0 for 2 before leaving the game with right abdominal discomfort.
The Blue Jays made a lot of contact off Young and cashed in with a sacrifice fly by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the first and a two-run homer by catcher Brandon Valenzuela in the fifth. But Young worked efficiently, avoiding any walks and recording six ground-ball outs. The Orioles have won each of the right-hander’s past six starts.
Baltimore then turned the game into a laugher by tacking on three runs in the eighth and four runs in the ninth. Jackson collected his second RBI single of the ninth, and both Colton Cowser and Leody Taveras drove in runs as well. A throwing error by Blue Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto allowed the Orioles’ final two runs to score and forced Toronto to use position player Tyler Heineman to finish off the frame.
Around the horn
— Orioles closer Ryan Helsley (elbow inflammation) completed a bullpen session at Rogers Centre on Friday before the game. He wasn’t sure how many pitches he threw, but the right-hander tested out his breaking balls after throwing exclusively fastballs his last time on the mound. He’s a candidate to begin a rehabilitation assignment next week.
— Starter Chris Bassitt rejoined the team in Toronto on Friday after he left his start on Wednesday with lower back tightness and returned to Baltimore for testing. Manager Craig Albernaz said in his pregame news conference that Bassitt will start Monday against the Seattle Mariners, assuming he has no further setbacks this weekend.
— Fellow right-hander Dean Kremer (quad) completed a live bullpen session at the Orioles’ spring training complex in Sarasota, Fla., this week, Albernaz said. The skipper added that Kremer is “checking every box, feeling great.” Though he didn’t specify a timeline, live bullpens are typically one of the final steps before a rehabilitation assignment.
