Kevin Gausman pitched 6 2/3 strong innings to help the visiting Toronto Blue Jays to a 7-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in the opener of a doubleheader Monday afternoon.
The Blue Jays tacked on three runs in the top of the ninth inning to gain a good start in a key series between teams battling for an American League wild card spot. Toronto has won four games in a row.
Teoscar Hernandez hit his 20th home run of the season for Toronto, which racked up 14 hits. Six of those came against a normally strong Baltimore bullpen.
Anthony Santander hit a pair of solo home runs for the Orioles, giving him 27 on the season.
Gausman (11-9) gave up two runs on seven hits without a walk. He struck out six on his way to posting a victory for the third time in his last four decisions. The Blue Jays used three relievers behind Gausman in what became a combined eight-hitter without issuing a walk.
Orioles starter Mike Baumann (1-3) lasted five innings, giving up three runs on eight hits. It was just his second start in the major leagues this season and his first outing with the Orioles since mid-June.
Santander, who was the third batter in the bottom of the first inning, began the scoring with a home run. The Blue Jays scored in the second, third, and fifth innings as Cavan Biggio, Alejandro Kirk, and Bo Bichette drove in runs.
The Orioles got a run-scoring double from Ryan Mountcastle in the sixth, but Hernandez's 20th homer of the season pushed the Jays' margin to 4-2 in the eighth. Santander's 27th homer of the season closed the gap to 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth before the Blue Jays pounced in the ninth.
George Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette all had RBI singles for the Blue Jays.
Toronto's Springer, Bichette and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. each had three hits as the Jays moved 3 1/2 ahead of the Orioles in the race for the final wild card spot.
Adley Rutschman and Santander had two hits apiece for Baltimore.
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