The Toronto Blue Jays aim to take the momentum of a ninth-inning comeback win into Sunday afternoon and complete a three-game sweep of the visiting Baltimore Orioles.
The Blue Jays (86-62) maintained their three-game lead in the American League East over the New York Yankees on Saturday by scoring three runs in the ninth in a 5-4 victory over the Orioles (69-79).
The season series between Toronto and Baltimore is tied at six wins apiece.
The Blue Jays emerged victorious after trailing after eight innings for the fifth time this season, and it was their ninth walk-off win overall. It was the third time the Orioles have lost after leading after eight innings.
Toronto has come back 45 times to win after trailing at some point in the game, a total that tops the majors.
“We just have this mentality that we’re just going to win,” said right-hander Max Scherzer, who allowed two runs in five innings on Saturday. “We are going to find a way to kick, scratch and claw our way back into this, and our offense has that identity. Pitchers smell that.”
Many of the deficits the Blue Jays have overcome were early in the game. They are 11-47 when trailing after seven. The last-place Orioles are 5-61 when behind after seven innings.
Toronto is slated to send right-hander Shane Bieber (2-1, 4.30 ERA) to the mound in a bid to complete the series sweep. He is 3-1 with a 3.60 ERA in 40 innings over six career starts against Baltimore. He last faced them in September 2023.
The Orioles, who were betrayed by their bullpen on Saturday, are expected to run with a parade of relievers in the series finale.
Right-hander Albert Suarez (2-0, 2.08) is scheduled to be the opener. He has been limited to four relief appearances this season because of a right subscapularis strain.
His only appearance before his stint on the injured list was March 28 when he allowed two runs (one earned) in 2 2/3 relief outings at Toronto. He was reinstated from the injured list on Sept. 1. His longest outing was three innings on Sept. 6 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Suarez is 1-0 with a 1.72 ERA in 15 2/3 innings over five career games (two) starts against Toronto.
It looked like Suarez would be required to pitch on Saturday. Starter Tomoyuki Sugano limped off the field after the third out of the first inning on a hard drive by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. that hit his left ankle. Suarez warmed up in the bullpen, but Sugano continued and pitched a solid six innings, allowing one run and four hits. He needed only 63 pitches, but interim manager Tony Mansolino elected to remove him.
“That was my decision; he was doing great,” Mansolino said. “To see him fight through it and pitch the way he did in this environment, after six innings, just felt like it was the right thing to do for him and also for us to try to win the game.”
The manager said he was concerned about going through the lineup for the third time and Guerrero leading off the inning.
Guerrero, who was 0-for-2 against Sugano, singled in the seventh against reliever Rico Garcia.
Rookie Dylan Beavers, who was 1-for-3 with a walk batting fifth on Friday, was moved to the No. 2 spot Saturday. He responded with three walks.
The outfielder has 20 walks in 23 games since making his debut on Aug. 16. He is batting .299/.460/.418 with one homer and eight RBIs.