Following two straight losses in Toronto, the Baltimore Orioles decided to keep things interesting in AL East, powering their way to a 12-2 win on Wednesday night against the Blue Jays.
The Orioles tied a team record with seven home runs and kept pace with the New York Yankees in the division, remaining 1 ½ games behind. The Yankees beat the Twins earlier in the day 8-2.
Rookie Manny Machado and Chris Davis both hit two home runs, Jim Thome and Mark Reynolds also hit home runs. Nate McLouth started things off for Baltimore, connecting on a leadoff home run in the first inning.
"Home runs are very unique, and when you do what we did tonight, it's something to be proud of. It's something that doesn't happen a whole lot in the game," Thome told the Associated Press.
Thome hit the 612th home run of his career and the first hit at Camden Yards since joining the Orioles.
"Up and down the lineup, everyone swung the bat well. It's been fun," Thome said.
Davis set a career-high with five RBIs and added two hits and two runs scored.
"This was a tough series. It was one of those ones that you don't want to see at the end of the season coming in off a long road trip," Davis said. "I think if you'd have told us a few months ago that we'd be a game and a half out with six games left, I think you'd be pretty happy with that."
The Orioles have six games left, including a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox starting Friday. The last series will be against the Tampa Bay Rays, who after the weekend could be close to catching one of the two wild-card spots. The Rays are currently only three games behind Oakland for the second spot.
"We just got through playing Boston and we played them well," Davis said. "Obviously, the three in Tampa are going to be tough, but we're at a point where we still have a chance, so that's all you can ask for."
Down 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth, the Orioles busted the game open with three home runs. Thome led off the inning with a home run and Machado added his fifth of the year with two outs to put Baltimore up 3-2. Machado's home run marked the 200th of the year for the Orioles, which ranks second in the majors.
Royals starter Carlos Villanueva gave up a career high four home runs and was finished after the fifth inning.
"Those mistakes I made, they hit them with authority. They put the power stroke on them and made me pay for them," Villanueva said.
According to ESPN Stats, Machado and Thome are the first AL teammates to hit home runs in the same inning with an age difference of more than 20 years. Thome is 42 years, 30 days old while Machado is 20 years, 82 days. He also became the oldest player to hit a home run for the Oriole franchise.
"That's crazy," Machado said. "It's a pretty good stat. I remember when I used to watch (Thome) play when I was a little kid. Now to hit a home run in the same inning he did, just feels great."
Davis added his second home run in the seventh inning while Machado hit his in the eighth. All of Machado's five home runs have come at home this season.
Oriole starter Miguel Gonzalez have up just two runs on five hits in seven innings, including a home run to Edwin Encarnacion in the first inning.
Baltimore will start Chris Tillman on Friday against Boston's Aaron Cook.
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