Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a three-run homer, Yusei Kikuchi was solid for six innings on the mound, and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Baltimore Orioles 6-5 Thursday afternoon at Rogers Center.
Ernie Clement scored two runs and Justin Turner had two hits to help the Blue Jays split their four-game series. The Blue Jays (30-32) have won seven of their last ten meetings.
Kikuchi (3-5) allowed one earned run and four hits. He left his place after throwing 89 pitches, striking out six batters and issuing one walk.
Yimi Garcia suffered a two-run homer from backup hitter Ryan O’Hearn in the ninth inning before retiring Kyle Stowers, also called in as a relief hitter. As a result, Garcia scored his fourth save of the season.
Adley Rutschman hit two home runs for the Orioles, who suffered a second straight loss but have nevertheless won 10 of their last 14 outings.
The Blue Jays had seven hits, one more than the Orioles.
Left-handed pitcher Cade Povich (0-1) made his debut for the Orioles (39-22) and showed no signs of nervousness, allowing no hits in the first two innings.
He got into trouble in the third inning after walking Clement and Danny Jansen. Guerrero pushed them to the plate with his seventh homer of the season.
The Blue Jays used two weak hits to add a run in the fourth inning. While fighting the sun, right fielder Anthony Santander and two Orioles infielders converged on a ball hit by Daulton Varsho that fell between them for a double.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa followed by lifting a ball that ended up in almost the same spot. This allowed Varsho, on the run from contact with the ball since there were two outs, to cross home plate.
Rotschman produced the Orioles’ first run with a homer in the sixth inning, a slam that landed in the first row of the bleachers behind the left-field fence.
The Blue Jays took Povich out of the game in the second half of the sixth inning after a one-out hit by Turner and a free pass to Varsho. Facing Dillon Tate, Kiner-Falefa allowed his two teammates to advance 90 feet and Clement followed up with a single that produced two runs.
Povich, who threw 100 pitches, was charged six earned runs. He gave up five hits and two walks and struck out two.
After Nate Pearson retired the Orioles batters in order in the seventh inning, Zach Pop gave up a two-run homer to Rutschman in the eighth. It was his 12th long ball of the season.