Wellington Castillo Joins Free Agent Pool

Wellington Castillo has declined the mutual option with the Baltimore Orioles to become a free agent.

Orioles and Hardy part ways

The Baltimore Orioles declined club options for JJ Hardy and Wade Miley.

Bundy stymies Blue Jays and Orioles hit 2 HRs in 3-1 victory

With a year of experience behind him and an additional pitch in his repertoire, Dylan Bundy appears poised to make the next step in his progression to big league ace.

Bundy struck out eight over seven impressive innings, and the Baltimore Orioles used home runs by Adam Jones and Chris Davis to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 Wednesday night.

Making his 15th career start, Bundy (1-0) allowed one run and four hits. The 2011 first-round draft pick did not issue a walk and retired 14 of the last 15 batters he faced.

Bundy went 10-6 last year, his first full season in the big leagues. The 24-year-old is being counted on this season to build on that performance, and the right-hander certainly did not disappoint in his 2017 debut.

Because Bundy was coming off elbow and shoulder injuries, the Orioles had him put his slider on the shelf last year. It's back in play now and was a huge factor against the Blue Jays.

"The slider was a good pitch for me tonight," Bundy said. "There were more right-handers in the lineup tonight, so I was using that a little bit more. I was happy with it."

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said, "When you give them three different looks and they have to honor three different pitches - really four tonight - you like your chances."

Brad Brach pitched the eighth and Zach Britton got three outs to earn his first save and seal the two-game sweep. After Toronto loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, Britton got former Oriole Steve Pearce to bounce into a 6-4-3 double play.

Jones hit a two-run drive in the third inning and Davis added a solo shot in the fourth. Both homers were off J.A. Happ, who went 20-4 last year - including 2-0 against the Orioles.

"The home run to Jones, I felt like I made my pitch. He kind of got his hands in there," Happ said. "And then, just trying to be aggressive, Davis got me on the first pitch."

Happ (0-1) struck out nine in seven innings. The left-hander gave up five hits and walked none.

"Overall, I was throwing a lot of strikes," Happ said. "That's a good sign."

Bundy retired the first seven batters before Toronto used three straight singles - the last by Devon Travis - to take a 1-0 lead in the third. With runners on the corners, Bundy struck out Josh Donaldson and retired Jose Bautista on a line drive to first base.

Jones connected with a runner on in the bottom half. It was his 223rd home run with Baltimore, tying him with Rafael Palmeiro for fifth place on the team list.

LONG BALL

In a duel between two power-laden teams, the Orioles got the best of the Blue Jays.

"The key to the series is that they hit three home runs and we didn't hit any," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "They scored quick like that and we couldn't. But we'll be OK."

SEEING THE LIGHT

The Orioles unveiled their newly installed LED lights for the first night game of the season. In becoming the 12th major league team with LED lights, the Orioles say the new setup will reduce energy consumption by 54 percent compared to the previous system.

HARD HIT

Toronto's Kevin Pillar slammed into the center field wall while pulling in a drive by Manny Machado to end the third inning. Pillar stayed on the ground briefly after making the catch before jogging back to the dugout with a nice applause from the Baltimore crowd.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Blue Jays: Closer Roberto Osuna (neck strain) is "feeling better" and is expected to spend the minimum time on the 10-day DL before being activated Tuesday, Gibbons said.

Orioles: Setup man Darren O'Day was ready for action after missing Monday's game with flu-like symptoms. "There's never a good time to get the flu, but opening day is not the best," he said Wednesday.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays: RHP Marcus Stroman takes the mound Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series in Tampa Bay. Toronto went 8-11 against the Rays last year.

Orioles: Following a day off, Baltimore begins a three-game series against the visiting Yankees on Friday night.

Trumbo's 11th-inning homer lifts Orioles over Blue Jays 3-2

Five months later, the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays reprised their winner-take-all postseason showdown.

The stakes weren't as high, yet the drama was palpable and the game was eerily similar.

Mark Trumbo homered with two outs in the 11th inning, and the Orioles beat Toronto 3-2 Monday for their seventh straight opening-day victory.

Trumbo connected off Jason Grilli (0-1) on a 1-2 slider. When he reached the plate, the reigning major league home run king was doused in water by teammates and cheered heartily by those remaining from a sellout crowd of 45,667.

The game was rematch of last year's AL wild card playoff, won by Toronto 5-2 on an 11th-inning home run by Edwin Encarnacion. This time, the Orioles prevailed with a game-ending blast.

"It did seem to have a similar feel," Trumbo said. "I'm glad this one turned out in our favor."

The Orioles didn't place a runner in scoring position after the third inning. But with their power-laden lineup, one swing is all it takes to win a tight game like this.

Trumbo provided it.

"We have a lot of confidence that, if we get enough chances, we'll be able to do some damage," Trumbo said. "I'm just happy to come through and take us home."

The 25th opening day at Camden Yards began in the late afternoon and ended at dusk.

"This is one of those places you don't feel good when they get the last at-bat," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "They are probably the top power hitting team in the game, top to bottom. They can do that at home."

Tyler Wilson (1-0), the fourth Baltimore reliever, pitched one shutout inning.

Grilli threw 15 pitchers, the last of which he lamented the most.

"I just left it fat. It was obviously not a good one," he said. "You make a mistake and you pay for it."

Booed from introductions to his final at-bat, Toronto's Jose Bautista went 0 for 5 with a walk. He grounded into an inning-ending double play in the ninth with the score tied and runners on first and second.

Starting on opening day for the first time, Baltimore's Kevin Gausman gave up two runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Toronto right-hander Marco Estrada also received his first opening day start. The 10-year veteran allowed two runs over six innings and retired his last 10 batters.

Baltimore went 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position over the first two innings, wasting doubles by Adam Jones and Welington Castillo.

That trend ended in the third. Newcomer Seth Smith doubled and Jones walked, Chris Davis delivered an RBI single and Trumbo followed with a run-scoring double.

Toronto got a run back in the fifth when Gausman issued three walks, the last to Kendrys Morales with the bases loaded.

The Blue Jays pulled even in the sixth. After Gausman gave up a one-out single to Steve Pearce, Ezequiel Carrera hit an RBI double off Mychal Givens.

WHAT A PLAY

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado thrilled the crowd in the 11th inning, diving near the bag to snare a grounder before throwing a side-armed toss on one knee to retire Devon Travis by a step at first base. He received a standing ovation.

"Who else makes that throw?" Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "Nobody."

FLYING BATS

Toronto center fielder Kevin Pillar lost the grip on his bat on successive swings in the eighth inning, launching it into the stands on the third-base side on both occasions. A fan made a nice catch on the first one, and the second dropped from without evidently hurting anyone.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Blue Jays: Toronto hoped to avoid placing RHP Roberto Osuna (cervical spasm) on the 10-day DL, but relented Sunday. "We expected and he expected for it to improve with him continuing to pitch," GM Ross Atkins said. "It didn't, so we thought it was in his best interest and ours to see if we could get it completely out of there."

Orioles: LHP Wade Miley (respiratory infection) will pitch a simulated game Tuesday. He hopes to come off the DL to start Sunday against the Yankees.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays: J.A. Happ (20-4 in 2016) starts Wednesday night in the finale of the two-game series. He's 4-3 against Baltimore.

Orioles: Dylan Bundy (10-6) makes his 15th career start Wednesday, the first against Toronto.

Orioles look to add veteran catcher to roster

The Orioles' top two priorities at the Winter Meetings are outfield and adding a catcher that the club hopes can bridge the gap until prospect Chance Sisco is ready for the Majors.

With Matt Wieters a free agent, and Caleb Joseph coming off an underwhelming offensive season, the O's would like to add a veteran backstop.

"A lot of clubs would like to have Chance Sisco. We are glad we have him. I'm not sure he's going to be ready to start the season," Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said of the club's second-ranked prospect by MLBPipeline.com. "We have some other depth behind him. I'd like to see us add some veteran depth to the club."

Duquette reiterated on Monday that the Orioles would be willing to offer a two-year deal to a free-agent catcher while they wait on Sisco. The 21-year-old, who bats left-handed, is expected to start the season at Triple-A.

While the O's have had varying amounts of interest in retaining Wieters, it seems for now that they're open to looking at other options.

Trumbo reportedly seeks deal in $75M range

The Orioles have made it pretty clear that they'd like to re-sign free-agent outfielder Mark Trumbo, though nothing seemed imminent on Monday night as the club can only hope the market for Trumbo comes down.

O's executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette, who confirmed on Sunday night that the club had extended an offer, said on Monday that there wasn't anything new in those negotiations.

"Nothing has really changed from our perspective," Duquette said of Trumbo, who turned down the team's qualifying offer earlier this offseason. "So, we're still looking around. We want to improve our defense if we can next year in the outfield."

According to a MASNSports.com report, the Orioles extended a four-year offer to Trumbo, though ESPN.com reported it was three years and an option. Regardless, Trumbo's camp is said to be looking for a deal in the $75 million range, which is a significant commitment for the O's.

Trumbo led the Majors with 47 homers in 2016 and was an integral part of the lineup. But even if the Orioles can find a way to keep him, Duquette reiterated that the club would still like to add a left-handed-hitting outfielder as well.

"We'd like to get some balance to our roster," Duquette said. "We have some right-handers, right-handed power hitters in the infield. So, we'd like to balance that out with a left-handed hitter in the outfield."

Duquette wouldn't say whether the club has a better chance to do that in trades or free agency, though the Orioles were linked to the Mets -- Jay Bruce and Curtis Granderson -- late Sunday night and again on Monday.

New York is reportedly interested in a high-end reliever, such as Brad Brach, and the club isn't alone in coveting some of Baltimore's bullpen arms. Brach and others have drawn a healthy amount of trade interest, though Duquette is hesitant to deal from there.

"We want to keep that strength intact," he said.

O's bust out in Oakland, hold on for Tillman's 15th

 Mark Trumbo hit his first grand slam of the year as part of a five-RBI day, andChris Tillman won for the 15th time, as the Orioles held off a late A's surge and avoided a sweep at the Coliseum on Thursday with a 9-6 win.

The A's brought the potential game-winning run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth. But Orioles closer Zach Britton got Danny Valencia to ground out to second base with the bases loaded for his 35th save, moving Baltimore within a half-game of first-place Toronto. Britton has not allowed an earned run in 39 straight appearances, an MLB record.

Baltimore's offense finally erupted after scoring only three runs through the first three games of the series. A three-run fourth, capped by a two-run double by Pedro Alvarez, snapped a scoreless streak of 17 consecutive innings dating back to Tuesday. The O's only added on from there, loading the bases an inning later for Trumbo, who hit his Major League-leading 32nd homer and third career grand slam to make it 7-0.

"[Trumbo's] had a good season," said Orioles manager Buck Showalter. "Just because he hasn't been perfect the last week or so, a lot of people would like to trade places with him statistically. We're lucky to have him, or we wouldn't be where we are."

Tillman is now tied with Boston's Rick Porcello for the second-most wins in the American League, trailing only Toronto's J.A. Happ (16). Tillman allowed a two-run homer to Ryon Healy in the fifth, but was otherwise solid, holding Oakland to five hits over seven innings while striking out four. It was the seventh straight quality start by a Baltimore starter on the team's 10-game road trip.

Andrew Triggs, a converted reliever making his second start of the season, was charged with his first loss of the season. He was the A's eighth different starter in their last eight games, the first time that's occurred since 1961. Triggs ran into trouble in the fourth inning, as Baltimore sent seven batters to the plate in a four-hit, three-run frame.

Oakland's bullpen didn't fare much better, allowing six runs in five innings of relief, includingAdam Jones' 23rd home run of the season in the seventh inning. Baltimore led 9-2 until the A's narrowed the deficit in a four-run eighth inning, sparked by a Max Muncy homer and a two-run double by Yonder Alonso.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Britton blanks another opponent: Britton allowed a one-out walk and back-to-back two-out singles in the ninth, but kept the A's off the board. His 39th straight appearance without allowing an earned run moved him past Brett Cecil and Craig Kimbrel for the longest streak in MLB history. The last time Britton yielded an earned run was on April 30, when he allowed one on one hit to the Chicago White Sox. He gave up three unearned runs on June 21 vs. the Padres.

A's pitching magic runs out: Baltimore struggled mightily through three games in this series, no matter who the A's started. Kendall Graveman was strong Monday; another reliever-turned-starter, Zach Neal, managed 5 1/3 innings Tuesday; and Ross Detwilerthrew eight shutout innings Wednesday in his first Major League start in more than a year. Triggs opened with three scoreless innings, appearing to embark on yet another unlikely strong performance, before stumbling in the fourth.

"Today he was a starter out of necessity," A's manager Bob Melvin said of Triggs. "It's well-documented we've had a lot of pitchers hurt. ... I thought he pitched really well in the early innings."

Finding offense: The Orioles were hard-pressed for offense in their first three games in Oakland. But, putting the ball in play became contagious in the fourth and fifth innings, as Baltimore broke the game wide open with seven runs. Manny Machado and Chris Davisstarted the rally in the fourth with a pair of one-out singles. Trumbo then put the Orioles on the board with a single to score Machado, and Alvarez broke the inning open with a two-run double to center field. The Orioles hadn't scored in 17 innings before the three-run rally. Trumbo, who was batting .115 in his last 16 games entering Thursday, then followed up that inning with a two-out grand slam to give Tillman a seven-run cushion.

"The last couple days, we haven't been able to get anything going," Alvarez said. "To put some runs on the board obviously felt good. It's always good when we can give our pitchers some breathing room."

Healy helps his cause: Healy robbed Machado of a hit in the first inning, tumbling to his left to snare a grounder before popping up and throwing Machado out at first. Four innings later, Healy made an impact at the plate, belting a two-run homer to left. Healy, who hit .316 over the first five games of his career, was batting .191 in his last 15 games prior to Thursday.

"He's been a little bit ... I don't want to say struggling ... but you find out the character of a young player who comes up and starts out real good and goes through some hard times," Melvin said. "They're making some better pitches on him. We've seen and we know he's a fighter. To come back and make some good plays and swing the bat well ... usually your game kind of surfaces again."

QUOTABLE
"It's fun to be a part of, that friendly competition." -- Tillman, on a strong stretch from O's starting pitchers

AFTER FURTHER REVIEW
The A's challenged the second-to-last play of the game after Brett Eibner appeared to be thrown out at third base by Jonathan Schoop. Eibner had rounded third after Khris Davissingled up the middle, and replay showed he dove back to the bag in time, which led to the call on the field being overturned and the game continuing.

"You just can't make the last out over there, and he knows that," Melvin said. "He scrambled back and he was safe. Give him some credit ... There has to be some awareness there, and it was just enough to get him back to the bag."

WHAT'S NEXT
Orioles: The Orioles will open a three-game series against the National League West-leading San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on Friday night at 7:15 p.m PT. Right-handerDylan Bundy will be on the mound. He set a career high with nine strikeouts in his last start Sunday.

Athletics: The A's begin a three-game series with the Mariners on Friday at 7:05 p.m. PT, concluding a 10-game homestand. Sean Manaea (3-7, 4.58) starts for the A's, facing the Mariners for the second time this season. He allowed four runs in five innings against Seattle on May 4, earning a no-decision. Manaea is 1-3 with a 3.12 ERA over his last eight games.

LeBlanc, Gausman set to match up at Safeco

The Mariners and Orioles will face off Friday in the second game of a four-game series in Seattle, the last series between the two teams this regular season.

Wade LeBlanc will get his second start with the Mariners. Seattle acquired the 31-year-old southpaw from Toronto on June 22 to help bolster a heavily injured starting rotation, and he made his Mariners debut on June 24. Manager Scott Servias, who knew LeBlanc from their overlapping time with the Angels, was pleased enough with the lefty's six-inning shutout performance to keep him in the starting rotation when Wade Miley and Taijuan Walker returned from injuries.

"[General manager] Jerry [Dipoto] and I had some history with him, so [we] kind of knew what to expect," Servais said. "Didn't think we'd get six shutout innings, but we'll gladly take them."

Kevin Gausman is scheduled take the mound for the Orioles. The right-hander will be looking for his second win this season. He is 1-5 in 13 starts and has a 3.93 ERA. He earned his first win in his most recent start, on June 25. Gausman only allowed four hits in 7 2/3 innings en route to a 5-0 Orioles win over the Rays.

Things to know about this game

• This will be Gausman's third career start against the Mariners, all of which have been in Seattle. He is 0-1 at Safeco Field with a 2.63 ERA.

• Before his start last week, LeBlanc had not pitched in a Major League game since 2014. He spent 2015 playing in Japan and then signed as a free agent with the Blue Jays. He started this season in Triple-A Buffalo, where he had a 1.71 ERA .

• Mariners catcher Mike Zunino could make his first Major League start since last season. Seattle recalled the 25-year-old from Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday to replace Steve Clevenger, whom the Mariners placed on the 15-day disabled list with a broken right hand. Zunino hit .174 for the Mariners last year, but had a .282 batting average in Triple-A this season. Starting catcher Chris Iannetta is due for a day of rest; he has played in the Mariners' past five games.

Walker, Mariners top O's, who set June HR mark

 Taijuan Walker bounced back from a troublesome foot injury to throw 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball as the Mariners topped the Orioles, 5-3, on Thursday at Safeco Field to snap Baltimore's seven-game win streak.

Hyun Soo Kim went deep off Walker leading off the seventh to give the Orioles a Major League-record 56 home runs in June, but that was the only damage done against the 23-year-old Mariners right-hander. Walker, making his first start in 11 days, allowed four hits with five strikeouts and is now 4-6 with a 3.29 ERA.

"That's the guy," Seattle manager Scott Servais said. "That's the guy we saw earlier in the year, we just haven't seen him in a while."

Chris Tillman saw his string of seven straight wins over the Mariners snapped as he gave up six hits and four runs in 4 2/3 innings, falling to 10-2 with a 3.71 ERA.

"There were a lot of deep counts tonight," Tillman said. "I think I made some good pitches, but the pitches in between weren't very competitive. Just wasn't able to command my offspeed like I have been. That makes their job easier, when you are not commanding the offspeed stuff."

The Orioles finished June with a 19-9 record and a five-game lead over Boston in the American League East at 47-31. Seattle went 10-18 in the month and is 40-39, 10 1/2 games back of Texas in the AL West.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Martin covers deep territory: Mariners center fielder Leonys Martin turned in a pair of defensive gems to help Walker out. In the fourth inning, Manny Machado hit a line drive off the wall in right-center field and rounded first. Martin played the ball off the wall, turned and threw a dart to second. Machado, caught between first and second after hesitating around the bag, headed back. But shortstop Ketel Marte tossed it to first baseman Dae-Ho Lee for the tag to get the final out of the inning. Walker had retired the previous 11 batters in order, with the help of another impressive defensive play in the second, when Martin leaped to grabMark Trumbo's line drive a few steps before the fence.

Smith gets insurance: Seth Smith tacked two more runs onto the Mariners' lead in the fifth with a home run over the right-field fence. His seventh dinger of the season put Seattle up, 3-0. By Statcast™'s measurements, his hit traveled a projected 389 feet with an exit velocity of 111 mph. He went yard on a 2-1 count right after fouling off a bunt.

"It's still an offensive count, so you're still trying to work aggressive," Smith said. "You're not sure what pitch is coming, but you're just working up the middle. And I got a slider kind of middle."

O's rotation woes continue: Tillman, the O's Opening Day starter, had been the guy Baltimore could depend on. But he struggled in a three-run fifth, and has been unable to record an out in the sixth inning in any of his last three starts. Tillman has surrendered 14 earned runs over his last 14 2/3 innings.

"I think it gets magnified because we weren¹t scoring any runs," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "We know Chris is capable of better. A lot of deep counts. First inning, he gets a couple outs and the next thing you know, he¹s thrown 27 pitches. That kind of set the tone for the night."

Kim secures record: The left fielder, who struggled earlier this season, gave the Orioles sole possession of the Major League record for June homers. Kim's 0-1 blast marked his third homer of the season and came in the seventh inning. He also drove in a run in a two-run Orioles eighth.

"It would have been really special if we were able to win the game," Kim said through his interpreter about the record homer. "Since we didn't, we can't really be congratulating too much. But I'm really glad and happy that I'm able to participate in games we are winning. So, that comes as very special to me."

QUOTABLE
"I don¹t know. Is there some record? I don¹t know. You¹d have to ask them. Score enough runs to win a ballgame. We¹ve got three months down, three to go. We¹ve had three winning months. I¹m more proud of the fact that we were something like 13-6 in the division." -- Showalter, on the June home run record.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW
The Mariners lost a challenge on a forceout at third in the fifth inning. With the bases loaded, Lee hit a shallow fly ball to right-center field. It fell in for a base hit. Robinson Cano scored, to put Seattle up, 4-0, and right fielder Trumbo threw the ball to third for a close play on a sliding Nelson Cruz. Third-base umpire Marty Foster called Cruz out, and the call was upheld.

But the Mariners picked up a run in the seventh on a crew-chief review, as the force play at second on a 5-4-3 inning-ending double-play grounder by Lee with runners on first and third was overturned. After a review, the out call at second was reversed, as Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop didn't tag the bag under the new "area play" rule, which allowed Cruz to score from third and give Seattle a 5-1 lead.

"Outstanding job by our replay guy Chris Prieto," Servais said. "Something we talk about often is with the naked eye, you're not really locked in on that. You can't see it. And he's on it."

WHAT'S NEXT
Orioles: Kevin Gausman will pitch the second game of the four-game set at 10:10 p.m. ET on Friday. The right-hander finally picked up his first win in his 13th start of the season, firing 7 2/3 scoreless innings against the Rays. He now sports a 1-5 record with a solid 3.93 ERA.

Mariners: Seattle will send Wade LeBlanc to the mound against Baltimore at 7:10 p.m. PT on Friday. The left-hander made his Mariner debut on June 24, throwing six scoreless innings in a 4-3 win over St. Louis in his first Major League appearance since 2014.

O's eye June HR history in opener vs. Mariners

The red-hot Orioles -- who have 55 homers this month and are one shy of setting a new Major League record for most in June -- will take their enviable lineup to Safeco Field for a four-game series against the Mariners that opens on Thursday at 7:10 p.m. PT.

Seattle will face a familiar foe in the opener in former Mariners prospect Chris Tillman. In 2008, Tillman, along with teammate Adam Jones and three other players, was sent to Baltimore in exchange for left-hander Erik Bedard. The right-hander (10-1, 3.52 ERA) is enjoying an excellent season for the first-place Orioles, who enter the series 5 1/2 games ahead in the American League East.

Tillman will square off against Mariners right-hander Taijuan Walker. The 23-year-old has enjoyed much more success at home than on the road this season. In eight starts at Safeco Field this year, he has a 2.92 ERA.

Things To Know About This Game

• Walker missed his last scheduled start due to tendinitis in his right foot. The right-hander has a 3.45 ERA in 14 starts on the year and is 0-1 with a 5.52 ERA in three career starts against the Orioles.

• Baltimore is expected to bolster its bullpen by activating right-hander Vance Worley from the disabled list prior to the opener. Catcher Caleb Joseph could also rejoin the team.

• Seattle's offense has been led by former O's slugger Nelson Cruz, who hit his 20th homer on Tuesday. Cruz is among the league leaders in dingers, with Baltimore's Mark Trumbo (23) currently on top.

Orioles win 7th straight, tie June HR record

 Mark Trumbo made Baltimore's impressive June at the plate historic, launching the club's 55th homer of the month, as the Orioles completed a two-game sweep of the Padres with a 12-6 victory Wednesday afternoon at Petco Park.

Trumbo golfed a Christian Friedrich fastball into the second deck of the left-field seats, capping a four-run fourth inning that put the Orioles on top for good. With the two-run shot, Baltimore tied the 1996 A's for the most home runs by a single team in June.

The O's have hit their 55 home runs in 27 games, while it took the '96 A's 29 contests. The record for most in any month is 58, shared by the Orioles in May '87 and the Mariners in May '99. Baltimore will be in Seattle on Thursday for the first of a four-game series at Safeco Field, where the club will look to add to its already historic June.

"Some guys are aware, some aren't. Obviously, it's a special thing, but it's not something that anyone is going to gloat about or spend too much time thinking about," Trumbo said. "It just goes to show that we are on a nice little run."

Padres third baseman Brett Wallace provided the bulk of the offense for San Diego, launching a three-run shot to center in the sixth. But that was the only damage done against Orioles starter Yovani Gallardo, who tossed six strong frames, allowing just three hits and striking out six, while registering his first quality start of the season.

"I think the ball was coming out pretty good out of my hand," Gallardo said. "Even early in that first inning, I had a good slider going. I was able to locate it and just also my fastball felt pretty good coming out of my hand. Just locating those pitches allowed me to get some weak contact."

Friedrich, meanwhile, threw three perfect innings before coming undone in the fourth. He allowed six runs (four earned) over five innings and has now surrendered 14 earned runs in his past three starts after giving up just eight in his first six outings for the Padres. Trumbo's homer came on a 2-2 fastball that crossed the plate half a foot inside -- but with hardly any movement.

"It was supposed to be a two-seamer that ran at him and came back a little bit," Friedrich said. "The fact that it just kept staying there allowed him to really pull his hands in. It was a good piece of hitting, but if I'm not throwing 92 mph in there -- if it's 88 -- it's easier for him to make the adjustment."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
O's record power: It was only fitting for the first-place Orioles that Trumbo would deliver the record-tying blast, which traveled an estimated 410 feet. The O's slugger has a Major League-leading 23 homers and has been a big part of the team's impressive offense in his first season with the club. More >

"Jon [Schoop] was talking about this yesterday, they've really taken on this pass-the-baton [approach]. It's not selfish. It's that feeling that the weight of expectations is not just on me," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of his team's offense. "... It's a product of everybody feeding off each other."

Green gets the gate: If we've learned anything from Padres manager Andy Green's two ejections this season, it's that there's some fire behind his typically even-keeled persona. Green got tossed Wednesday after a Friedrich throwing error gave the Orioles a 6-0 lead in the fifth. Green argued that Chris Davis had run outside of his lane to first base, where Wil Myers wasn't able to collect Friedrich's throw for the out.

"That's a very impactful play on the game," Green said. "And it's my job to fight on behalf of my players. I recognize it's a difficult call, there's a lot spinning. … I'm just staring at the baserunner, and in my eye in real time, it very much looked like he interfered with Wil's ability to catch the baseball."

Do not touch: With one on and one out in the fourth, Yangervis Solarte sent a fly ball down the left-field line toward the stands, where Orioles left fielder Joey Rickard raced toward the wall and slid. Except the ball never reached Rickard. Instead, a spectator in the first row snagged it out of mid-air, prompting third-base umpire Tony Randazzo to call fan interference. Green argued, but replay confirmed the ruling, making it clear that Rickard had a makeable play on the ball before it was interfered with.

"I was just hoping that they would think that a guy sliding into the wall probably isn't going to catch the baseball," Green said. "But it does, in a letter-of-the-law sense, impact his ability to catch the baseball. It removes his opportunity to catch it. I just don't know what the percentage chance is that that ball's caught."

QUOTABLE
"Some things with Petco are maybe overblown at this point in time. Over the last couple years, it hasn't played as this difficult park to hit in. We've put up six or seven runs in the last couple days ourselves." -- Green, on the high-scoring games at Petco Park

"We're just feeding off each other. When you're going good, it's easier to do. When you're going bad, that's when you're really got to find yourself. Right now, it's easy. It's a little easier to come to the park [to] play, because we're playing well." --Adam Jones, on the O's current hot hitting

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Myers' ninth-inning double was his 21st extra-base hit in June, tying him with Greg Vaughn for the most by a Padres hitter in a single month. He finished June hitting .327/.430/.765 with 11 homers and 33 RBIs -- also a June record.

WHAT'S NEXT
Orioles: Baltimore will head to Seattle for a four-game series with Chris Tillman starting the opener at 10:10 p.m. ET on Thursday. The righty allowed six earned runs over five innings in a no-decision against Tampa Bay in his last start. Still, Tillman (10-1, 3.52 ERA) has been the O's ace this season.

Padres: After an off-day Thursday, the Padres continue their Interleague slate when they welcome the Yankees to town for a three-game set beginning Friday night at 7:40 p.m. PT.Colin Rea will take the hill for the Friars, in search of some efficiency after laboring through five innings in his most recent start.