Jose Berrios takes no-hitter into seventh as Jays beat Orioles for first time this season

Here’s what you need to know about the Blue Jays’ 3-1 win over the Orioles in Baltimore on Wednesday:

Dealing

José Berríos sure seems to love his crab cakes. The right-hander took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning in leading the Blue Jays to their first win over Baltimore this season in five tries. Berríos ended up allowing three hits in 7 2/3 shutout innings.

He retired the first 13 hitters to come to the plate against him, taking care of three ground balls and snatching an Adley Rutschman line drive out of the air. The perfect game bid came to an end when Austin Hays walked with one out in the fifth inning. The first hit was a Rutschman line single up the middle to lead off the seventh.

The 29-year-old Berríos has a sparkling 2.29 ERA over his last 12 starts. And this one might have been his best since opening day in 2018, when he threw a three-hit shutout for Minnesota, also in Baltimore. He is 10-0 lifetime against the Orioles.

Springer dinger

In an effort to help out their then-beleaguered pitching staff, the Orioles moved the left-field fence back 26 1/2 feet and almost doubled its height to 13 feet before last season, but even that couldn’t contain George Springer. The Jays leadoff man opened the scoring in the top of the sixth by destroying a Kyle Bradish changeup 437 feet, clearing the new wall and about a dozen rows of seats behind it.

It was the 10th home run of the season for Springer. He joins Bo Bichette (14) and Daulton Varsho (11) as Blue Jays in double digits.

Who needs a DH?

Cavan Biggio started at first base, but was pinch-hit for by Santiago Espinal, who was replace in the field by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. But Guerrero had been the designated hitter, so his entrance into the game meant the Jays had to put the pitcher in the batting order. And, sure enough, the spot came up in the ninth with two on and two out. Danny Jansen pinch-hit for Tim Mayza and grounded out.

Mike Wilner is a Toronto-based baseball columnist for the Star and host of the baseball podcast “Deep Left Field.” Follow him on Twitter: @wilnerness

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