Travis Snider wasn't making excuses after the Orioles' 10-7 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. He didn't try to explain away his three-run error in right field that created an ultimately insurmountable lead for Toronto, chased shaky starter Chris Tillman in the third inning and helped drop his new team back to a .500 record.
"That's a ball that has to be caught, especially because Chris pitched his backside off for us, gave us a chance to get out of the inning," Snider said. "I'm not going to overthink it."
There were plenty of things that went wrong for the Orioles (3-3) on Sunday afternoon before an announced crowd of 32,522 at Camden Yards.
Tillman (1-1) dug the Orioles into a 2-0 hole on his fourth pitch of the game, and eventually allowed seven runs (three earned) in 2 2/3 innings, his shortest start since lasting one-plus inning against the Texas Rangers on June 5, 2014.
Reliever Darren O'Day couldn't keep the Orioles within one run in the eighth, serving up a two-run home run to a player he has griped with — and been beaten by — in the past, Toronto slugger Jose Bautista.
And the club wasted an offensive performance that included Adam Jones' second homer of the Toronto series and a three-run shot by Snider.
But the lasting image from Sunday will be Snider breaking in for a line drive off the bat of Devon Travis, only to realize he misjudged it. The ball sailed over Snider's head, grazing his outstretched glove, in a four-run third that gave the Blue Jays a 7-2 lead.
"That's one of those balls as an outfielder, you have to be patient and not over-read and not be overanxious to come in and get it," Snider said. "Unfortunately, my leaping ability is not great. I wasn't able to make up for the misstep. But, again, that's something you continue to work on and trust that work when the game comes."
Snider also had trouble with another fly ball in right that he initially thought was going to carom off the wall. Instead, the wind held it up and Snider caught it while lunging at the warning track.
Orioles manager Buck Showalter bristled when asked about Snider's "adventures" in right.
"He did some good things. He hit a three-run homer that got us back in the ballgame. He made a play where the wind blew the ball back in that a lot of guys may not have made," Showalter said. "Travis is considered a good outfielder and today he got a tough read on one ball."
The bases-loaded jam in the third was set up by three walks from Tillman. It was a struggle from the beginning for the Orioles' top pitcher; he also served up a two-run home run to the second batter he faced, Dalton Pompey.
"They came out swinging," Tillman said. "I was never able to get any real command of any of my pitches. If I have command of just maybe one of them I am able to get deeper in that ballgame."
The Orioles tagged Toronto starter Drew Hutchison for seven runs in 41/3 innings, including Snider's first home run as an Oriole that closed the gap to 8-7 in the fifth.
It stayed that way until Showalter brought O'Day into the game to relieve Brad Brach and face Bautista with a runner on and two outs. It was a curious decision because Bautista was 4-for-14 with three career homers versus O'Day, but Brach had pitched Saturday and had recorded five outs Sunday before walking his final batter. O'Day hadn't pitched since Tuesday.
"We're trying to manage the bullpen for today and tomorrow. I knew that Darren had to pitch [Sunday] at some point," Showalter said. "Darren has been, and will be, a key part of getting people like that out."
After allowing the homer, O'Day retired his final four batters. But the damage was done — and done by Bautista, whom O'Day jawed with in 2013 and plunked with a pitch in 2014.
"There's history there. He's hit me a few times," Bautista said. "He's thrown behind me a few times. I've got him a few times, so there was emotion in the moment."
As Bautista rounded the bases it appeared he said something to O'Day before doing his usual arm flex when crossing the plate.
O'Day said he didn't hear Bautista say anything — he was lost in the moment.
"I was just focusing on myself," O'Day said. "I threw a terrible pitch."