Toronto beat Baltimore 7-3 Saturday as Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s first-inning double off Kyle Bradish gave the Blue Jays a lead they never surrendered, sending the Orioles to their latest setback in a fading postseason chase.
Guerrero's double to right scored Brett Bateman, and Alejandro Kirk followed with a single to push the lead to 2-0 in the first. Bateman then homered to center in the third, and Kirk added a two-run shot to left center — his 10th of the year — to make it 5-0 before Baltimore had recorded its first run. Bradish allowed all five of those runs on eight hits across three innings. The Orioles scored on a Kazuma Okamoto throwing error in the fourth that plated Gunnar Henderson, and Pete Alonso's 35th home run, a two-run shot in the seventh, accounted for Baltimore's remaining runs. Toronto answered in the seventh with a sacrifice fly by Ernie Clement that scored Guerrero to set the final margin at 7-3.
Kirk finished 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored. Guerrero went 1-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI. Alonso provided Baltimore's biggest blow with his homer. Bradish, who took the loss, was chased after three innings having given up five earned runs. Spencer Arrighetti earned the win with 2.2 scoreless innings in relief, and five Toronto pitchers combined to hold Baltimore to three runs over the final nine frames.
The loss dropped Baltimore to 72-77, leaving the Orioles 3.5 games back of the final AL wild-card spot with the regular season winding down.