Reimold homer gives O’s a win

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays did just about everything necessary to end their miserable losing streak.

They got a fine pitching performance from ace Roy Halladay, reached double figures in runs for the first time since May 6 and twice had an apparently secure lead.

And still, the Baltimore Orioles rallied for an unlikely 12-10 victory Wednesday.

Nolan Reimold hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the 11th inning, providing the Orioles with their first three-game winning streak of the season and extending the Blue Jays’ skid to nine games.

“Been a long time since we had a lot of fun like that,” said Baltimore manager Dave Trembley, shortly after Reimold had his postgame interview interrupted by a shaving-cream pie in the face, courtesy of teammate Robert Andino.

Baltimore trailed 8-3 when Halladay left after seven innings, and 10-8 after Aaron Hill hit a two-run homer in the top of the 11th.

But after Luke Scott hit an RBI single off Brian Wolfe (1-1) to put runners at the corners with one out in the 11th, Reimold, the Kennedy Catholic High graduate from Greenville, Pa., sent a 1-1 fastball over the wall in left-center, his fourth homer in 13 games since being recalled from Triple-A Norfolk.

“I didn’t see the replay, how much of the plate it got, but he definitely went down and got it,” Wolfe said.

That finished the worst road swing in Blue Jays history — three losses apiece in Boston, Atlanta and Baltimore. Toronto never before went winless on a road trip of at least nine games.

During the previous eight defeats, the Blue Jays totaled 13 runs. They got plenty of offense this time, but the result was familiar.

“This is one we had a chance to win. We were leading. So this is about the worst lost we had on this trip,” Toronto manager Cito Gaston said. “We’re leading, we have Doc on the mound and we had a five-run lead. You’re supposed to win those kind of games.”

Danys Baez (4-1) pitched three innings for the Orioles, who got a home run from Scott and a career-high four hits from Andino in completing a three-game sweep. Baltimore was 0-24 when trailing after seven innings.

“It was just such a great, great atmosphere in our dugout today,” Trembley said. “I’m glad we got the win for the team.”

After Halladay allowed eight hits and left with a five-run lead, the Blue Jays bullpen ruined his chance to become the first nine-game winner in the majors.

In the 11th, Hill homered after Marco Scutaro hit a one-out single. The home run was Toronto’s first in eight games and 78 innings.

But Baltimore rallied again in the bottom half, leaving the Blue Jays with their longest road losing streak since a 10-game run in 1979.