Manoah helps propel Blue Jays over Orioles to secure 6th win in last 7 games

Arabnews24.ca:Wednesday 7 September 2022 10:54 PM: Alek Manoah retired 22 of his final 23 hitters in an impressive eight-inning performance, and the Toronto Blue Jays wrapped up a successful series in Baltimore with a 4-1 victory over the Orioles on Wednesday night.

The Blue Jays won three of four to take a 4 1/2-game lead on Baltimore for the last wild card in the American League. Manoah (14-7) allowed a run in the first, but the Orioles didn't manage another baserunner until the sixth.

Toronto scored three times in the fifth off Dean Kremer (6-5) and left Camden Yards with its postseason chances looking pretty good — although these two teams have six more games scheduled against each other.

Baltimore reinstated Tyler Wells from the injured list and had him pitch the first two innings as basically an opener. He got in a jam in the second and allowed an RBI grounder by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to tie it.

Kremer retired the Blue Jays in order in the third and fourth, but the fifth started badly for him when the bottom two hitters in Toronto's lineup singled. One out later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made it 2-1 with an RBI groundout. After a walk to Bo Bichette, Alejandro Kirk hit a flare to left for a run-scoring single.

Rookie catcher Adley Rutschman then gifted the Blue Jays another run when he tried to pick off Kirk at first and threw wildly for an error.

Kremer allowed two earned runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Gurriel exited with left hamstring discomfort after hustling to first to beat out a potential double play in the second.

Guerrero went just 1 for 5 but contributed defensively when he made a behind-the-back toss to Manoah covering first on Rutschman's grounder in the third.