Tue Jul 8 23:06:10 2008

Comment | Email | Print

Blue Jays rally and win thanks to O's error in ninth

---

Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Scott Rolen's ground ball in the bottom of the ninth went through the legs of Baltimore Orioles shortstop Freddie Bynum, allowing Alex Rios to score and cap a four-run comeback to give the Toronto Blue Jays a 7-6 victory.

B.J. Ryan (2-3) picked up the win with a perfect ninth inning while Dustin McGowan went four innings, giving up four runs -- two earned -- on four hits and a walk with two strikeouts in the start for Toronto, which won for just the second time in six games. McGowan left the game due to right shoulder soreness.

Rios had a three-run triple and scored twice while Vernon Wells was 2-for-4 with two RBI for the Blue Jays in the opener of the three-game series.

Daniel Cabrera allowed four runs on six hits and four walks in 6 1/3 innings while striking out three for the Orioles, who have lost three in a row. Jim Johnson (2-3) allowed one unearned run on two walks and no hits while striking out two in 1 2/3 innings to take the loss.

Nick Markakis was 2-for-4 with two RBI, and Aubrey Huff homered for Baltimore.

The Blue Jays came howling back in the bottom of the seventh with a four-run outburst to tie the game. Rod Barajas and Adam Lind singled two batters apart to chase Cabrera from the game in favor of Dennis Sarfate. Joe Inglett flied out before Sarfate walked Marco Scutaro to load the bases. Rios took advantage of the mistake with a two-out, bases-clearing triple to the gap in left- center. Wells followed with an infield single to score Rios and tie the game at six.

Rios drew a one-out walk in the ninth, stole second on a Wells strikeout, and advanced to third on a throwing error by O's catcher Ramon Hernandez. Johnson, who came on in the eighth, intentionally walked Matt Stairs to bring Rolen to the plate for the game-winning grounder.

Huff belted his 18th home run with two outs in the first to put the Orioles on top.

Wells' two-out single in the bottom of the inning scored Inglett, who singled to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a groundout, to tie the game.

Baltimore reclaimed the lead in the third on a series of Toronto defensive gaffes. Adam Jones' grounder up the third base line deflected off the glove of third baseman Rolen and into the outfield, allowing Jones to reach second. He went to third on a Brandon Fahey sacrifice bunt before scoring on a McGowan wild pitch.

Brian Roberts then walked and stole second before Markakis' base-hit to left put runners on the corners for Huff, whose sacrifice fly made it 3-1.

Melvin Mora hit a one-out single in the fourth and scored on a Jones two-out double to right, making it 4-1.

Toronto responded in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to two runs. Wells and Stairs walked before a Barajas one-out single scored Wells.

Markakis hit a one-out two-RBI single in the seventh to score Hernandez and Fahey, and push the lead back to four. Hernandez walked to start the inning and Fahey doubled two batters later, before Roberts was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Game Notes

Alberto Castillo made his major league debut by pitching part of the seventh inning for the Orioles. Before the game Baltimore placed pitcher Adam Loewen on the 15-day disabled list, selected the contract of Castillo and moved pitcher Troy Patton from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list...Markakis extended his hitting streak to 15-games...Baltimore has homered in 17 of its last 23 games with 30 total homers in that stretch...Baltimore fell to 20-10 in series-opening games.