Orioles undone by Blue Jays' 5-run inning in 8-2 loss

Matt Weyrich, The Baltimore Sun on Mar 28, 2025

Published in Baseball

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TORONTO — The Orioles signed Charlie Morton this offseason not to be a front-end starter, but an innings-eater who could bring stability to their rotation. Thrust into the No. 2 spot to begin the season with Grayson Rodriguez on the injured list, Morton was neither of those things Friday as he unraveled in the fourth inning of Baltimore’s 8-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

The 42-year-old loaded the bases with no outs, walked in a run and allowed another on a sacrifice fly before a rusty Albert Suárez struggled with his command and velocity to allow the Blue Jays to put up five runs in the frame. Former Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander capped the rally with a single off the wall in right field for his first hit with his new club.

Jorge Mateo, making his first start after returning from elbow surgery just in time for Opening Day, also recorded a throwing error that led to a run on the play.

Baltimore (1-1) jumped out to an early 2-0 lead after Jackson Holliday recorded his first home run of the season on a 425-foot scorcher to the opposite field in the third and Tyler O’Neill drove in Adley Rutschman with a sacrifice fly in the fourth. However, the offense went silent from there as Toronto starter Kevin Gausman, the Orioles’ No. 4 overall draft pick in 2012, earned the win with six strong innings.

Morton spent most of the first three frames successfully wriggling his way out of jams to keep the Blue Jays off the board, flashing 97.1 mph on the radar gun and picking up three strikeouts. However, the persistent stream of hard-hit balls leaving the Blue Jays’ bats eventually caught up to him, forcing manager Brandon Hyde to pull him after just 3 1/3 innings and 80 pitches.

Suárez remained in the game long enough to get the Orioles through the sixth, but Toronto tacked on another run on an RBI single by shortstop Bo Bichette. Cionel Pérez then gave up a pair of runs in the seventh when pinch hitter Ernie Clement golfed a breaking ball below the zone down the left field line for a two-run double. Gregory Soto recorded three strikeouts, all looking, for a scoreless eighth to get his campaign off on the right foot.

The Orioles’ offense never got going against the Blue Jays’ bullpen, going a combined 0 for 9 with five strikeouts against Toronto’s relievers. Baltimore loaded the bases in the ninth on three walks, but Nick Sandlin struck out Ryan Mountcastle to end the game.

Instant analysis

Baltimore entered the season with questions surrounding its rotation and the performances by Morton and Suárez will do little to quell them early.

Zach Eflin did his job in the Orioles’ Opening Day win Thursday, but which starters step up behind him to help Baltimore’s rotation stack up with the heavyweights in the American League remains to be seen. Morton and Suárez are two such candidates, with Morton only two years removed from posting a 3.64 ERA over 30 starts with the Atlanta Braves and Suárez coming off a revelation of a season plugging holes as a swing man for the Orioles.

Yet the Orioles need upside, and with Rodriguez still weeks away from a potential return and Kyle Bradish sidelined until at least the All-Star break, they will be looking for it from Morton, Suárez, Dean Kremer, Tomoyuki Sugano and Cade Povich — with Kyle Gibson building up in Triple-A Norfolk as well. Baltimore’s offense showed it can carry the club to wins like it did Thursday, but there will also be nights like Friday when the pitching staff must hold its own.

On deck

After splitting the first two games of their season-opening series in Toronto, the Orioles will send Dean Kremer to the mound on Saturday opposite the Blue Jays’ Max Scherzer. Kremer is coming off a season in which he posted a 4.10 ERA in 24 starts and finished the year strong after missing time with a triceps strain. Scherzer, 40, signed with Toronto this offseason after making just nine starts for the Texas Rangers in 2024 because of injuries.

Around the horn

— Right-handers Rodriguez (tricep) and Andrew Kittredge (knee surgery) did some throwing on the field pregame. Rodriguez went into the bullpen and threw off the mound at an abbreviated distance, his second time since restarting his ramp-up program in spring training. Hyde said Rodriguez will throw a light side session from the full 60 feet, 6 inches Sunday.

— Shortstop Gunnar Henderson (intercostal strain) suited up for Triple-A Norfolk’s season opener Friday to begin his rehabilitation assignment and went 1 for 3 with a single in seven innings. He recorded a fielder error at shortstop but made a couple of tough plays as well. Henderson will be first eligible to return Thursday when the Orioles host the Boston Red Sox.

— Right-handers Matt Bowman and Roansy Contreras, both of whom were designated for assignment Thursday when the Orioles finalized their Opening Day roster, cleared waivers and the club assigned them to Norfolk. Livan Soto, the final position player cut in favor of the now-healthy Mateo, was reassigned to Triple-A as well.