In a season with so many challenges for the Orioles, testing them seemingly in every way imaginable, the attempt to win a game on a particular night can suddenly become a struggle of a different sort.
Just trying to get a hit.
Blue Jays left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu allowed two baserunners in the first inning tonight but retired 15 batters in a row and flirted with history until Ryan Mountcastle lined a double into right field with two outs in the sixth in a one-run game.
Austin Hays drove in the tying run with a single up the middle and Ramón UrÃas followed Anthony Santander's walk with a two-run double. Getting one hit wouldn't suffice. The Orioles got greedy.
They also got the win. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. greeted Jorge López in the sixth with his 39th home run, but Tyler Wells notched four huge outs, Cole Sulser handled closer duties and the Orioles concluded the month with a 4-2 victory at Rogers Centre.
Sulser retired the side in order for his sixth save and the Orioles won for only the third time in their last 26 games. They went 4-24 in August.
Keegan Akin held the Jays to one run and two hits in five innings with three walks and five strikeouts, his removal coming after 85 pitches. He's allowed two runs and five hits in his last two starts over 12 innings.
"I hope tonight and his last start against Anaheim gives him some confidence," said manager Brandon Hyde. "They had nine right-handers in the lineup, one of the best offensive teams in baseball and he gives up one run in five innings. He did a good job of changing speeds, something he's really working on and continuing to improve on."
The UrÃas double was "really the hit that we have not gotten," Hyde said.
Jorge Mateo drew a leadoff walk against Adam Cimber in the seventh and raced to third with one out on a pickoff throw that got past Guerrero. Jahmai Jones singled into center field for his first RBI with the Orioles and second in the majors.
Wells inherited two runners from López with two outs in the seventh and retired Guerrero on one pitch, a slider that produced a line drive to center. A one-out single by Teoscar Hernández in the eighth on an 0-2 pitch, the ball reaching the left field fence and played extremely well by Ryan McKenna, didn't get the Jays any closer - with Mateo making a sliding stop of Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s grounder and flipping to second for the force.
Cedric Mullins led off the first inning with a walk and stole his 25th base to go with 30 doubles and 24 home runs. His next homer will make him the third Orioles player with a 25/25 season, joining Reggie Jackson (1976) and Don Baylor (1975).
Ryu tossed seven scoreless innings on Aug. 21 against the Tigers, but he also allowed seven runs on Aug. 8 and again Thursday covering a total of 7 1/3 innings. The Orioles made him throw 28 pitches tonight in the first, but he stranded Mullins and Santander, who also walked.
The lefty went back out for the fifth at 58 after throwing only eight in the third and five in the fourth, and he struck out the side. His sixth included a Mullins popup that he caught behind the mound, but Mountcastle poked a double into right field and second baseman Marcus Semien whiffed while trying to backhand Hays' 107 mph grounder into center.
Akin retired the side in order in the first, walked two batters in the second and escaped the jam, and surrendered a 431-foot leadoff home run to Danny Jansen in the third.
Bo Bichette led off the fourth with a double and Akin struck out the next two batters and retired Randal Grichuk on a nine-pitch fly ball that Hays caught with a sprint and slide near the right field line.
A one-out walk in the fifth was followed by a strikeout and ground ball. Akin was impressing again but couldn't yank the attention away from Ryu until the Orioles offered their support.
"One through nine can take advantage of you at any point," Akin said, "so kind of grind that out and get through five and keep my team in the ballgame is a good confidence boost going into this next start."
López hadn't surrendered a run in his first three relief appearances but Guerrero went to the opposite field for his eighth homer and 18th RBI in 11 games against the Orioles this season.
Hyde wisely chose Wells in a high-leverage situation. Can't hold him back until later and risk losing the lead.
Seize the moment.
"For me, the game was right there and we've had such a hard time getting the ball to Tyler Wells," Hyde said. "I just felt like that was the biggest spot in the game. Guerrero up, two guys on and then after that the meat of their order, guys we've had trouble with this year. So for me, Tyler Wells won us the game there getting Guerrero in the seventh and pitching the eighth inning. Just a great job.
"He was going to pitch tonight regardless and I felt like the game was on the line at that point."
The fingerprints of the rookies were all over this victory. The starting pitcher, the Rule 5 reliever and players in the lineup who produced big hits. .
"The games prior it's been a lot of fun just to be up here, but at the same time I want to contribute as much as I can to this team, especially a win," Jones said.
"Every opportunity I get to step on that field, along with the other guys that are rookies, any opportunity we get is an opportunity to prove ourselves and prove why we should be playing here. We're all here, which means that we're here for a reason, and we've just got to go out and play our game and prove that we're meant to stick here. I think this next month is going to be a lot of fun, just to get your first taste of considerable time in the major leagues, and not only that but an opportunity to show why you should be an everyday guy or a go-to guy in the bullpen or as a starter.
"I have a really good feeling about this organization moving forward, for me, and I couldn't be more excited for the opportunity to be a part of this ballclub."
Notes: Mike Baumann is pushing for a promotion. He started tonight for Triple-A Norfolk and held Charlotte to one run and five hits with no walks and seven strikeouts in six innings. His ERA is 2.00.
Zach Watson had three hits and five RBIs for Double-A Bowie.