Manoah too much for O's, who get routed in series opener (updated)

TORONTO – In winning the last two games of their series in Kansas City, the Orioles scored 16 runs on 25 hits and hit four homers. The sledding was much tougher tonight in their first meeting of the year with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Toronto sent right-hander Alek Manoah to the mound, a pitcher who had allowed just 14 earned runs in 69 2/3 innings this year and had thrown 10 quality starts in his first 11 outings of the season.

He would not need a lot of runs tonight, but the Blue Jays got him a lot anyway.

They scored seven times in the last of the fifth to knock O’s starter Kyle Bradish from the game, and they routed the Orioles 11-1 at Rogers Centre.

The Orioles had been 7-5 in their last 12 games against American League East opponents, but now they have lost seven in a row versus Toronto dating to last season as they fall to 26-36 for the year and to 2-3 on this road trip.

In this blowout loss the O’s highlight came in the top of the seventh. Left fielder Kyle Stowers lined an RBI double to left-center off right-hander Julian Merryweather for his first major league hit and RBI. And the O’s first and only run of the night. He finished 1-for-3 after he had struck out against Manoah in the second and flied out on a full count in the fifth. He was hit by a pitch with two outs in the ninth. 

Added to the roster today as Anthony Santander went to the restricted list, Stowers had posted a .901 OPS in 49 Triple-A games. He drove his double to the gap at 106.3 mph off the bat. 

"It was cool, and pretty cool to see my family up in the stands, too," Stowers said after the game. "Wish we could have gotten a win tonight, but it was cool to get that out of the way."

What were the nerves like for Stowers in his debut?

"Felt pretty good going into the game," he said. "During the game I thought my first at-bat I started getting a little hesitant, which is not like me. Not as aggressive as I usually am. But was able to take some deep breaths and dial back in." 

The first inning has not been kind to the Orioles this year. They began tonight at minus-29 in runs in that inning, which is easily their poorest of any this year. Tonight they ended it down 1-0 and Bradish had to throw 29 pitches to get the three outs.

That came after an O’s rally came up empty in their first against Manoah, who began this game at 7-1 with an AL-leading 1.81 ERA. He had allowed two earned runs or fewer in 10 of his first 11 starts. But in the O’s first, he hit Trey Mancini with one out and walked Rougned Odor with two down. But he fanned Ryan Mountcastle with a 94 mph fastball to put up a zero.

Then an RBI single with two outs by Toronto catcher Alejandro Kirk, batting in the cleanup spot, gave his team the 1-0 lead in the home half. It scored George Springer, who led off the game with an infield single off the leg of Bradish and advanced to second on a groundout.

The O’s missed out on another chance, stranding two in the third. It began with Jorge Mateo’s single and Cedric Mullins reaching on catcher’s interference. But Kirk threw behind Mullins, who had strayed too far off first base, and Toronto got an out on the bases, cutting down Mateo 2-3-5-4.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drove in a run to open a 2-0 lead in the Toronto third, and Bradish was keeping the Orioles in the game until the Blue Jays got the big inning against him and Logan Gillaspie in their seven-run, seven-hit fifth. Santiago Espinal and Raimel Tapia contributed two-run singles in the inning as Gillaspie replaced Bradish and gave up four runs and five hits in just a third of an inning.

“I thought Kyle was throwing the ball good, and you know Gillaspie has been really good for us so far this year and just had a tough inning," said manager Brandon Hyde. "Our bullpen has been unbelievable all year. Used a bunch of guys yesterday and was hoping Gillaspie could get that fifth inning, had a tough time there and it happens."

With a 9-0 lead in the fifth, Toronto (36-24) was on its way to its 14th win in the last 18 games, and to a home record of 19-10.

Manoah stifled the O's offense tonight after scoring 31 runs the last five games and 124 over their past 23.

Manoah allowed one hit in six scoreless and improved to 8-1 with a 1.67 ERA. Bradish fell to 1-4 with a 6.86 ERA while allowing five runs over 4 1/3 innings.

Right-hander Jordan Lyles (3-5, 4.97 ERA) will try to get the Orioles even in this four-game series on Tuesday night at Rogers Centre.