Toronto – Anthony Santander’s grand slam was the game-changer as the Baltimore Orioles dominated Toronto 13-3 on Tuesday, spoiling Blue Jays pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu’s return from Tommy John surgery. Gunnar Henderson had a strong performance at the plate, going 2 for 4, including a solo home run, and driving in four runs. Baltimore (66-41) celebrated their third consecutive win. Ryan Mountcastle contributed with two RBI doubles, Ryan McKenna added a two-run single, and Adley Rutschman drove in a run with a hit.
Kyle Bradish (7-6) struck out seven batters, allowing three runs on four hits in a seven-inning performance. Cionel Perez and Joey Krehbiel provided scoreless relief innings. On the Blue Jays’ side, Danny Jansen hit a two-run homer, and Brandon Belt added a solo shot. However, Toronto (59-49) suffered their third consecutive loss.
Ryu (0-1) gave up nine hits and one walk but managed to limit Baltimore to four runs over five-plus innings. This start marked Ryu’s comeback after undergoing Tommy John surgery over a year ago. Trevor Richards, Genesis Cabrera, Nate Pearson, and Jordan Hicks came out of the bullpen, but unfortunately Cabrera, Pearson, and Hicks allowed nine runs.
Ryu struggled in the early parts of the 2022 season, earning only two wins with a 5.67 ERA before undergoing Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career. Generally, recovery from such surgery takes around 18 months, but Ryu’s quick return after just 14 months was impressive.
Rutschman and Mountcastle started the game with back-to-back doubles, resulting in an early 2-0 lead for Baltimore. Ryu faced 11 batters in the following three innings, settling down after allowing an early lead. Toronto’s defense and offense supported Ryu, with a double play ending the third and fifth innings and Danny Jansen hitting a home run to decrease the Orioles’ lead to one.
Brandon Belt tied the game in the third inning with a home run, making the score 3-3. However, Ryu’s night ended after allowing a solo home run to Henderson at the start of the sixth inning, which gave Baltimore the lead again. Henderson’s homer briefly matched Santander’s total of 18 for the most on the Orioles.
Mountcastle extended Baltimore’s lead in the seventh with another RBI double. Henderson contributed again with a base hit that scored two runs, resulting in a 7-3 lead for Baltimore in the inning. In the eighth, Pearson ran into trouble, walking three consecutive Orioles to load the bases. Santander then delivered a grand slam, his second of the season and 19th home run overall, extending Baltimore’s lead to 11 runs. McKenna added another run in the ninth with an RBI single.
Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette is currently listed as day-to-day due to right knee discomfort. An MRI revealed no significant damage, only inflammation. Yusei Kikuchi will start for Toronto in the next game against Baltimore, while Grayson Rodriguez will take the mound for the Orioles.
This report was first published on August 1, 2023.