Orioles top Blue Jays, 4-2, to sweep doubleheader, remain in playoff race

BALTIMORE — A miracle run to a postseason spot for the Baltimore Orioles, five games back with five to play entering Wednesday, required them to win all of their remaining contests plus additional help. After a doubleheader sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays, they’re on the right track, albeit still far off, and await results elsewhere to learn if they’ll remain in the race Thursday.

The Orioles (78-81) took their home regular season finale, 4-2, to complete a series sweep of the division rival whose postseason hopes they eliminated hours earlier. Now, Baltimore will watch for the result of the White Sox game, which started one hour later Wednesday night. Any Chicago win the rest of this season will eliminate the Orioles, as would the Texas Rangers winning three of their remaining five games.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand powered the victory, driving in three of Baltimore’s four runs with a solo homer in the fourth inning and a two-run single in the first.

That was more than enough against a Toronto lineup that couldn’t solve Trey Gibson, who was recalled to start the back end of the doubleheader. In his first major league appearance since June 30, the young right-hander didn’t allow a run over 6 2/3 innings on seven strikeouts and three hits.

If it’s his last outing of the season, Gibson will finish his rookie year with a 6.13 ERA across nine games (eight starts). He never solidified his place in Baltimore’s starting rotation for an extended stretch but occasionally filled in when the unit dealt with injuries or underperformances to mixed results. And he saved his best for last.

Gibson cruised through six scoreless innings on two hits. He thought he completed the seventh on an inning-ending double play, but a replay review ruled that the back of second baseman Jeremiah Jackson’s foot was illegally on the outfield grass when the play started.

That brought Gibson and his defense back onto the field. The right-hander threw four straight balls to put two runners on and bring Craig Albernaz out to replace him. Gibson, looking frustrated, covered his mouth with his glove and shouted as he left the mound.

Yennier Cano struck out Myles Straw to strand the bases loaded and cue the seventh-inning stretch songs for a second time.

Josh Walker tossed a scoreless eighth, and with the lead still at four, Albernaz turned to Felix Bautista to pitch the ninth for his second appearance since returning from the injured list Saturday.

Bautista allowed one run over 2/3 of an inning in his first game back Sunday and similarly struggled Wednesday. After starting with a three-pitch strikeout, Bautista allowed a single and home run for the Blue Jays’ first runs before finishing the inning on a lineout and groundout.

While the fastball velocity is not near where it was then — it reached 93 mph — the right-hander proved his splitter can still be effective with three swings and misses on the offering.

Moments after the final out, Orioles players and coaches poured out of the dugout, gathered on the grass and tipped their hats to thank fans. Pete Alonso, being interviewed by MASN and playing through the Camden Yards speakers, said “we have three games left, we’re going to do the best we can, but you guys have been phenomenal.”

The Orioles have Thursday off, then head to New York for a three-game set with the Yankees, who are locked into the American League’s top wild-card spot. New York could take that opportunity to rest key starters and reshuffle their pitching staff to line up for that opening round series. And star slugger Aaron Judge is still on the injured list.

Meanwhile, the White Sox wrap up a three-game series with the Kansas City Royals on Thursday, then host the lowly Colorado Rockies over the weekend. Baltimore’s hopes rest on Chicago losing Wednesday night and each of those remaining four games, and the Rangers dropping three of their remaining five games against the New York Mets and then the Minnesota Twins.

In other words, the only tiebreaking scenario that favors the Orioles is tying the White Sox at 81-81 while the Rangers finish 80-82 or worse.

Even after two impressive wins Wednesday, the Orioles could be eliminated by the time players leave the ballpark. Or, they could stay alive another day and watch Thursday with interest.