Cashner dominates Jays, allows 3 hits over 7 IP

TORONTO -- Andrew Cashner is showing no signs of cooling off as his recent hot streak and history of success against the Blue Jays both continued to roll on Saturday afternoon at Rogers Centre.

Cashner controlled the game from the first inning, working efficiently with just 32 pitches needed through his first three innings of work. He allowed three singles over seven innings of one-run ball, including four strikeouts and zero walks to lead the Orioles to an 8-1 win and position them for the series sweep on Sunday.

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Since the beginning of June, Cashner owns a 1.41 ERA over five starts (32 innings) with 18 strikeouts and just four walks. With his ERA now down to 3.83 on the season, Cashner (9-3) is becoming even more appealing to contending teams in search of rotation depth ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline.

“My fastball command has been really good,” Cashner said. “I think I’ve done a good job at commanding the upper part of the zone with the fastball. I think the biggest thing is just getting ahead, but I think my changeup has really come along in the last month. I’ve been moving my fingers, kind of playing with it. There’s certain times where I’ll try to get it where it goes straight down, almost like a split, instead of trying to fade it.”

Cashner turned to that changeup 29 times on Saturday, which resulted in two whiffs and six called strikes along with six foul balls. The Blue Jays managed to put 10 of those in play, but following the theme from Cashner’s recent outings, that contact wasn’t particularly threatening.

The lone run against Cashner scored on a Cavan Biggio single, which brought Vladimir Guerrero Jr. home from second. Guerrero’s single earlier that inning was the first hit allowed by Cashner on a seeing-eye ground ball up the middle that left the bat at just 75.7 mph, according to Statcast.

Cashner lived in the strike zone for most of the game, but the Blue Jays couldn’t seem to barrel him up as the 32-year-old mixed speeds and locations. Of the 20 balls put in play against Cashner, none were hit harder than 98.2 mph. He got some help from the defense behind him, too, especially center fielder Keon Broxton, who made a leaping catch at the wall in the fourth inning to rob Freddy Galvis of extra bases.

“He’s a premier defensive center fielder and can really go get it,” said manager Brandon Hyde after the win. “He’s got incredible range and confidence out there.”

The Orioles’ lineup did most of their damage in the top of the fourth when they got a second look at Toronto starter Clayton Richard. All nine hitters came to the plate, which was highlighted by Renato Núñez launching his 20th home run of the season, a 419-foot shot that wrapped around the foul pole in left.

“When he stays on the ball and has a middle-of-the-field approach, that’s when his homers stay fair to left field,” Hyde said. “He’s just got a ton of power. His swing plays for the home run.”

Nunez, 25, joins only Boog Powell (1964) and Manny Machado (2018) as the only Orioles age 25 or younger with 20 or more home runs before the All-Star break in club history (since 1954).