TORONTO — Brandon Hyde made a matchup decision.
After right-hander Burch Smith allowed a single with two outs in the sixth inning, the Orioles manager walked to the mound for a change. He called for left-hander Gregory Soto to inherit a runner in a key situation — to routinely end the sixth inning and thus maintain a one-run lead.
Soto was acquired at the trade deadline for situations such as these. He’s a left-handed fireballer whom executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias figured could supplement the back-end of the bullpen and cover for the absence of Danny Coulombe.
Instead, the first three outings of Soto’s tenure in Baltimore have been disasters, with Tuesday’s drubbing the latest in a string of poor performances.
Soto sunk what had otherwise been a superb pitching effort from emergency fill-in starter Albert Suárez by allowing the first five batters he faced to reach base. Among them was a three-run home run from Alejandro Kirk and a two-run double from Addison Barger — the major blows that left the Orioles with a 5-2 series-opening defeat against the Toronto Blue Jays.
“I was missing with my sliders, my breaking pitches today,” Soto said through team interpreter Brandon Quinones. “Wasn’t really able to command it, and I paid the price for that.”
In three appearances since his arrival, Soto has allowed nine hits and eight runs in 1 1/3 innings. The collapse Tuesday was all about matchups, but in three plate appearances against left-handed hitters that inning, Soto allowed a single (Spencer Horwitz) and two doubles (Daulton Varsho and Barger).
Hyde said that Horwitz’s numbers against lefties this year, at .200 before the game, prompted him to bring in Soto.
“Took my chances with a lefty, and he went 3-0 on him,” said Hyde. That put Soto in a hole immediately, and Horwitz’s ensuing single led to Kirk’s homer. “Just not enough strikes.”
Before that breakdown, Suárez stepped in to replace right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, who was scratched due to lat/terres discomfort in his upper back shortly before first pitch. Suárez dazzled, earning plaudits from injured right-hander Tyler Wells via X: “you deserve your honorary salute today,” Wells posted.
Pitching coach Drew French ran into the clubhouse about 10 to 20 minutes before first pitch to alert Suárez of the issue, and Suárez sprung into action. He warmed quickly and took the mound soon after.
“He’s been a pro all along, in every type of role,” Hyde said. “That was a late, urgent rush to get him warmed up before the game. And to go five innings the way he did was incredible.”
Suárez added: “For me, I just keep my mind always ready for this type of situation. When you’re the long reliever in the bullpen, you don’t want this to happen, but sometimes it happens, so in my mind I’m always ready to be out there.”
Suárez pitched five scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out six batters. He has jumped between the rotation and bullpen this season because of injuries to starters, and the 34-year-old might find himself required in the rotation once more should Rodriguez require an injured list stint.
But at 73 pitches and without advance preparation, Suárez was done. Smith entered and recorded two outs before Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled and spurred Hyde to turn to Soto. Then the game unraveled.
Baltimore held the one-run lead in the sixth despite right-hander Chris Bassitt’s strong start. In the top half of the sixth, Jackson Holliday recorded the Orioles’ first hit of the night when he lifted Bassitt’s poorly located cutter for a 410-foot homer.
“We didn’t do much off Bassitt the entire night,” Hyde said. “He really kept us off balance. Mixed speeds extremely well. Pitched differently than he did against us a handful of days ago. So give him credit. We really did nothing, expect for Jackson’s homer there.”
That lead evaporated, however, and even when the Orioles had an opportunity to break through against Bassitt and the Blue Jays’ bullpen in the eighth, they fell short. Bassitt loaded the bases without recording an out and left-hander Génesis Cabrera entered the game.
Hyde pinch hit for Holliday with Austin Slater, who walked in a run.
No. 9 hitter Ramón Urías then struck out, and Hyde “took a shot” with Coby Mayo rather than lead-off hitter Colton Cowser, even though Mayo was hitless in his first nine at-bats.
Mayo struck out and Anthony Santander grounded out, leaving the Orioles trailing.
But it was the implosion of the sixth inning with Soto on the mound that forced the Orioles to chase a deficit. They went out and acquired pitching at the deadline, and only some of the moves have provided the intended boost in an early sample.
“It’s been difficult, but having my teammates’ support has been huge,” Soto said. “They brought me here for a reason. I know that. Having their support means a lot, and I know with that, I’ll get through it.”
