Play it again: Blue Jays 5-7, O's 1-1

By Roch Kubatko

July 25, 2008

Recaps of the Orioles' 5-1 and 7-1 losses to the Blue Jays yesterday:

In control - again

In yesterday's regularly scheduled game, Blue Jays right-hander Roy Halladay improved his career record against the Orioles to 18-4 with a 2.86 ERA by limiting them to one run in seven innings. Manager Cito Gaston left him in the game for 119 pitches despite a big lead. Halladay scattered seven hits, walked one and struck out six. The only run off him came in the sixth inning when Aubrey Huff and Melvin Mora singled with one out and Luke Scott produced a sacrifice fly for his 42nd RBI. Jay Payton singled with two outs, but Guillermo Quiroz struck out.

Nick at day

The Blue Jays broke a 0-0 tie in the third inning by scoring twice. The only reason they didn't take the lead in the second was because of Nick Markakis, who threw out Matt Stairs at the plate for his 11th outfield assist, tops in the American League. The Blue Jays loaded the bases with one out against Daniel Cabrera on a walk and two singles. Former Oriole Gregg Zaun lined to Markakis in right, and Stairs tagged up and soon became the latest player to wish he hadn't. Quiroz caught the ball on the fly and applied the tag to end the inning.

Starting off wrong

The Orioles were 0-1 yesterday before Cabrera took the mound. They lost Wednesday night's suspended game, 5-1, with Kevin Millar's throwing error in the eighth inning allowing two runs to score. Lance Cormier replaced starter Jeremy Guthrie when the game resumed with a runner on third base and two outs in the sixth. He came out with runners on first and second and one out in the eighth. Randor Bierd walked Stairs to load the bases, and Millar fielded Adam Lind's grounder and threw the ball over catcher Ramon Hernandez's head. The Orioles have scored 11 runs in Guthrie's eight losses.

On deck

The Orioles begin their third series of this homestand, the longest of the season, with a 7:05 game tonight against the Los Angeles Angels. In two career games against the Angels, both starts last season, left-hander Brian Burres is 2-0 with a 2.84ERA. The Angels have hit .186 against him. Angels starter Joe Saunders is 3-0 lifetime against the Orioles with a 5.63ERA. They're hitting .382 against him. They're just not beating him. Saunders got the win May4 despite allowing four runs and 12 hits in five innings.