TORONTO (AP) — Cedric Mullins and Adley Rutschman hit back-to-back home runs, Ramón Urías drove in the tiebreaking run in the sixth inning and the Orioles beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-2 Tuesday, giving surging Baltimore its 10th win in 14 August games.
Dean Kremer (5-4) matched his career high by pitching seven innings, winning for the second time in three starts.
Ryan McKenna had an RBI hit as the Orioles (61-55) closed to within one-half game of Toronto (61-54). The Blue Jays hold the third and final spot in the AL wild-card standings, trailing Tampa Bay and Seattle.
Dillon Tate worked the eighth and Félix Bautista struck out a pair in the ninth for his seventh save in eight chances.
The slumping Blue Jays lost for the ninth time in 12 games. Toronto is 4-9 in August.
Baltimore is 6-2 against the Blue Jays this season. The Orioles lost 14 of 19 meetings with Toronto in 2021.
Kremer allowed two runs and seven hits. He walked one and struck out six.
Blue Jays right-hander Alek Manoah (12-6) came in unbeaten in five career starts against the Orioles but couldn’t extend that streak, allowing four runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings. Manoah struck out seven and walked four, matching a season-worst for the fourth time.
Toronto’s only runs off Kremer came in the first when George Springer led off with a single and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered, his 25th and second in two games.
Guerrero’s homer came off his bat at 111.3 miles per hour.
Toronto loaded the bases with one out in the third but Matt Chapman grounded into a double play.
Mullins and Rutschman tied it with back-to-back home runs in the fifth, going deep three pitches apart. Mullins homered for the 11th time, while Rutschman’s was his seventh.
The Orioles took the lead and chased Manoah with a two-run sixth. Terrin Vavra walked, advanced on Rougned Odor’s groundout and scored on a two-out single by Ramón Urías.
Manoah left after walking Jorge Mateo, who was nearly picked off first by reliever Anthony Bass, with the call standing after video review. McKenna made the most of the extra opportunity with an RBI single.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: RHP Julian Merryweather (strained right abdominal) struck out a pair in two scoreless innings in a rehab outing for Triple-A Buffalo Tuesday. Merryweather has not allowed a hit in five innings over four rehab appearances at three minor league levels.
WHO’S ON FIRST?
Rutschman took grounders at first base before the game. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said he’d consider using Rutschman at first base in an emergency but would prefer not to have to.
UP NEXT
RHP Austin Voth (3-1, 5.34) starts for Baltimore in Wednesday afternoon’s series finale. Toronto will activate RHP Ross Stripling (5.3, 3.16) off the injured list to face the Orioles. Stripling hasn’t pitched since July 30 because of a sore right hip.
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