Orioles fumble away 5-run lead in 6-5 loss to Blue Jays

It took six pitches for the Orioles’ lead to evaporate, and with it a stunning collapse that began an inning prior occurred.

George Springer and Ernie Clement hit singles against right-hander Yennier Cano, whose hamstring tightness from Wednesday improved to the point he didn’t require an injured list stint and could pitch two days later. And Vladimir Guerrero Jr., hunting a low-and-inside fastball, lashed a two-run double to give the Toronto Blue Jays a lead in a game in which they had looked down and out just two innings earlier.

Entering the seventh inning, Baltimore held a five-run lead. Left-hander Trevor Rogers had pitched a gem. But that lead slipped away quickly. Rogers allowed a pair of two-run homers, and Cano conceded three straight knocks to begin the eighth — a befuddling combination that resulted in Toronto’s 6-5 victory.

“I’ll learn from it,” Rogers said. “That’s on me. We should have won the game, and just got to be better.”

This is the way of the 2026 Orioles (26-32). A few days ago, they completed a three-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays. But, in the first two games of this four-game series, Baltimore dropped Thursday’s opener by failing to break through with runners in scoring position and then lost Friday by not protecting a sizable lead.

For how well Rogers pitched through six innings, two-run homers from Kazuma Okamoto and newly promoted rookie Charles McAdoo chased him from the game before he recorded an out in the seventh inning.

In hindsight, Rogers and manager Craig Albernaz said the left-handed hurler should’ve exited earlier. Rogers called it a “learning moment for both of us.”

“I think I probably should have, sixth inning, put my ego aside and probably turned it to the bullpen,” Rogers said. “But this game’s about learning, and we’ll make adjustments.”

Albernaz will make those same adjustments. Rogers’ efficiency through six innings convinced him to stick with his starter, but the seventh time up out of the dugout, Rogers didn’t have his best stuff. The pitcher blamed it on a return to “trying to blow fastballs by guys. The third time up, they’re ready for heaters.”

Especially considering the result, Albernaz said he “absolutely” left Rogers in the game too long.

“That’s a struggle. Leaving him in too late,” Albernaz said. “He was efficient with his pitches, and where the ’pen was, but yeah, left him out there too long.”

Before then, Rogers needed only 55 pitches to complete five innings, and 10 of those came in one at-bat against Daulton Varsho that ended in a groundout.

And he received ample support. The Orioles plated two runs in the third inning against right-hander Austin Voth through Adley Rutschman’s bases-loaded walk and Samuel Basallo’s sacrifice fly.

Three solo homers — Jackson Holliday, Pete Alonso and Basallo — prodded the Orioles ahead further.

The lineup lengthens so much when Holliday is at the bottom of it. This 22-year-old, playing his 10th game this season, could be a budding star. And, although it’s unrealistic to expect it all to click for him at once — even first overall picks need time — Holliday’s return from a broken bone in his hand has accompanied an upturn in play.

Much can be true at once — the proclivity for power from Alonso and Basallo is as much a reason, if not a better one, this lineup has showed a better side of itself lately as Holliday. But he sure helps.

“I feel good. I feel like I’m seeing the ball good,” Holliday said. “I’ve enjoyed working with the hitting guys and trying to keep simple thoughts up there. I’m happy with where I’m at.”

Despite a one-run loss Thursday, Baltimore has scored five or more runs in six of its last eight games. More times than not, that should be enough.

The solo home run Holliday cranked in the fourth inning was one of his two hits. With his ability to speed around the bases, he’s practically a second leadoff hitter. And despite the lack of a hamate bone — which he broke this winter and which required removal in February — Holliday hasn’t shown the diminished power that is often a lingering side effect of that surgery.

At the time, his homer seemed one run of many breakthroughs. In the end, those five runs weren’t enough, and the Blue Jays retired 13 of the last 14 batters they faced — preventing a late comeback.

Rogers was only at 74 pitches to close the sixth inning, and Albernaz sent him back out to continue the best start of his season. But he ran into immediate trouble in the seventh, and it wasn’t until the second two-run shot that right-hander Tyler Wells entered to complete the inning.

Wells needed only six pitches to get out of that frame, but Baltimore turned to Cano next. That didn’t work. For as well as Cano has pitched this season (he entered with a 1.86 ERA and 0.724 WHIP), the Blue Jays had no trouble squaring him up.

Albernaz said the Orioles didn’t consider leaving Wells in for another inning because they had “earmarked” the top of the order for Cano.

“We know there was a string of righties,” Albernaz said. “They weren’t going to pinch hit for that spot in the order. We love the matchups with Cano, and he’s been throwing the ball extremely well. We were more than comfortable bringing him in there.”

The combination of those faltering performances amounted to a loss, which the Orioles snatched from the mouth of victory.

This article has been updated.