Beavers hits leadoff homer, Mayo also connects as Orioles beat Blue Jays 7-4

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Baltimore Orioles' Dylan Beavers (12) celebrates his solo home run with Pete Alonso (25) as Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk (30) looks on during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Chris Bassitt (40) works against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP) — Baltimore Orioles' Dylan Beavers (12) celebrates his solo home run with Pete Alonso (25) as Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk (30) looks on during the first inning of a baseball game in Toronto on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

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10:13 PM on Friday, September 11

By IAN HARRISON

TORONTO (AP) — Dylan Beavers hit his first career leadoff home run, Coby Mayo added a solo blast and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-4 on Friday night in the opener of a series between AL wild-card contenders.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand had three hits and Beavers had three RBIs as the Orioles won for the third time in four games after losing the previous six. Baltimore is 3-7 in September.

Toronto rookie Brett Bateman had three hits, including his first career home run, a two-run blast off Alex Hoppe in the ninth.

Rico Garcia retired Alejandro Kirk on a fielder's choice to end it for his eighth save in 14 chances.

The Blue Jays came in one game behind Cleveland for the final wild-card spot. Baltimore entered three games back.

Chris Bassitt (7-5) struck out five in five-plus innings to beat his former team. Bassitt allowed two runs and six hits.

Beavers homered on Max Scherzer’s second pitch of the game, his seventh.

Scherzer (2-8) allowed six runs and a season-high seven hits in five innings.

The Orioles got six consecutive hits off Scherzer to begin the second inning. Heston Kjerstad drove in a run with a bases-loaded single, Colton Cowser followed with a two-run double and Beavers capped the five-run outburst with a two-run single.

Toronto’s Kazuma Okamoto hit a solo home run off Bassitt in the fourth, his 31st.

Andrés Giménez made it 6-2 with an RBI groundout in the sixth. Mayo answered with a homer off Braydon Fisher in the seventh, his 23rd.

The Orioles have hit multiple home runs in five straight at Toronto, a streak that began Sept. 14, 2025.

Up next

RHP Kyle Bradish (7-13, 3.91 ERA) was scheduled to start for the Orioles on Saturday. Toronto had not named a starter, but RHP Spencer Arrighetti (7-9, 5.12) was expected to feature.

See AP’s full MLB coverage here