Alek Manoah pitched eight innings of three-hit ball as the Toronto Blue Jays turned back the host Baltimore Orioles for a 4-1 victory Wednesday night.
Manoah (14-7) struck out five and walked one, reversing a trend from disappointing results in his August starts against the Orioles. He became the seventh pitcher in the major leagues this year to reach the 14-win mark.
The 24-year-old right-hander, who is in his second year in the major leagues, posted the longest outing of his career. Jordan Romano struck out two in a hitless ninth for his 31st save.
The Blue Jays (76-60) won three of four games in the series between contenders for wild-card spots in the American League. Alejandro Kirk went 3-for-5 after a four-hit effort Tuesday night.
The Orioles (72-65) have lost four of their last five games, with offensive shortcomings developing into a theme. Baltimore’s only hit after the first inning was Adley Rutschman’s one-out double in the sixth inning.
Dean Kremer (6-5) worked 5 1/3 innings in relief, though he was stuck with the loss. He allowed three runs, two earned, while giving up six hits.
The Blue Jays scored three runs in the fifth inning to break a 1-1 tie.
Baltimore scored first on Ryan Mountcastle’s double. That drove in Anthony Santander, who singled with two outs.
The Blue Jays tied the score in the second inning, limited to one run despite loading the bases with no outs and reloading them with one out.
The go-ahead run came home on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s groundout in the fifth inning. Toronto tacked on runs on Kirk’s single and on Baltimore’s miscalculated pick-off play that allowed Bo Bichette to score from third base.
Santiago Espinal and Raimel Tapia each added two hits for the Blue Jays.
Orioles starter Tyler Wells gave up one run on two hits and two walks with one strikeout in two innings.
–Field Level Media