Jays come back to beat Orioles 6-5

Munenori Kawasaki drove in the game-winning run as the Toronto Blue Jays scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning for a dramatic 6-5 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday at Rogers Centre.

Kawasaki lashed a two-run double to the gap in left-centre field to cap the rally off Baltimore closer Jim Johnson (2-5). Steve Delabar (4-1) worked one inning of relief for the win as the Blue Jays salvaged a split of the four-game series.

Watch Kawasaki’s amazing post-game interview with Sportsnet

Toronto put runners on the corners with nobody out in the bottom of the ninth. J.P. Arencibia drove in Edwin Encarnacion with a single to make it a two-run game.

Brett Lawrie of Langley, B.C., flied out and Anthony Gose walked to load the bases. Mark DeRosa pushed a run across on a fielder’s choice and later came across with the winning run.

Adam Jones homered for the Orioles, who outhit Toronto 14-12.

The Orioles scored twice in the second inning and Jones’s solo shot came off reliever Aaron Loup in the seventh. Baltimore (27-23) added a pair of runs in the ninth but the three-run lead wasn’t enough.

Toronto (21-29) will close out its nine-game homestand with a two-game mini-series against the Atlanta Braves beginning Monday night.

Baltimore starter Miguel Gonzalez turned in a steady performance on a sunny, comfortable afternoon at Rogers Centre. He gave up one earned run, four hits and three walks while striking out seven.

Toronto starter Chad Jenkins lasted five innings, allowing two earned runs, eight hits and three walks (two intentional). The Orioles were aggressive from the start against the 2009 first-round draft pick, who was making his second start of the season.

Nick Markakis singled in the first inning and tried to score when Jones doubled off the wall in left field. Melky Cabrera fired the ball to Kawasaki, who relayed it to Arencibia in plenty of time for the tag.

In the second inning, Chris Davis hit a ground-rule double and moved to third on a J.J. Hardy single. Davis jogged home on a double from Matt Wieters and Hardy made it 2-0 when he scored on a Danny Valencia grounder.

Gonzalez, meanwhile, kept the Blue Jays off the bases until Kawasaki reached on a bunt single in the third inning. Kawasaki moved to third on a Jose Bautista single but they were stranded when Encarnacion struck out.

Toronto halved Baltimore’s lead in the fourth inning.

Adam Lind singled, moved to third on a double by Arencibia and scored on a sacrifice fly by Lawrie. Gose followed with a sharp drive to centre field but had an extra-base hit taken away when Jones made a nice running catch.

The Orioles loaded the bases in the fifth inning. Jenkins escaped by getting Hardy to line out to Encarnacion at first base.

Thad Weber relieved Jenkins in the sixth and Baltimore once again loaded the bases. This time it was Manny Machado’s turn to strand three runners, as he hit into an inning-ending double play.

Gonzalez was pulled with two out in the bottom of the sixth. Reliever Brian Matusz came on and Gose lined out to end the inning.

Jones hit his 10th homer of the season by taking Loup over the wall in left-centre field.

The tepid crowd of 28,502 was energized in the bottom half of the seventh when the Blue Jays loaded the bases with two outs. However, Lind flew out to shallow centre field to end the threat.

Toronto made it a one-run game in the eighth inning when Kawasaki singled with the bases loaded to bring home Arencibia, who had reached on a single.

Cabrera then hit a grounder to first base but Lawrie was forced out at home. Bautista came up with two outs and hit a sharp comebacker that reliever Tommy Hunter bravely bare-handed before getting the out at first.

Delabar loaded the bases in the ninth inning. Wieters lashed a double to right field that scored Markakis and Jones.

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