Rasmus' homer forces extras, but Blue Jays fall in 12th

BALTIMORE -- The Blue Jays once again got plenty of good pitching on Saturday night. But they're still searching for the offense that has been missing for much of the 2014 season.

In Friday's series opener, Toronto mustered just three hits but came away with a victory thanks to some Baltimore fielding woes. The Blue Jays weren't as fortunate in the second game Saturday, missing on a bunch of scoring chances that left the door open for the Orioles to pull out a 2-1 victory in 12 innings before 30,446 at Camden Yards.

David Lough got the game-winning hit in the bottom of the 12th, as his one-out single to left scored Steve Lombardozzi, who had just tripled off of Todd Redmond (0-1). The right-hander threw 3 1/3 good innings of relief, but the Jays (6-6) couldn't find the offense to support his efforts.

"It was a good ballgame," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "We had a chance to win. We had a few shots. It just didn't happen."

The offensive problems have plagued the Blue Jays throughout the first two weeks of the season -- in different ways. Toronto got seven hits in Saturday's game but went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base.

The Blue Jays now have a .209 team batting average. Their only run Saturday came at a dramatic time when Colby Rasmus crushed a 1-2 fastball from Orioles closer Tommy Hunter for a game-tying solo homer with two outs in the top of the ninth as Baltimore (5-6) was one strike away from locking up the victory.

"Most times guys that throw 98, I'm looking for the fastball hoping they want to challenge," Rasmus said. "That's fun for me."

The Jays missed on every other scoring chance in the game. Orioles starter Bud Norris threw seven shutout innings, but Toronto did have some opportunities to manufacture some runs.

Brett Lawrie walked to start the second and moved to third when Melky Cabrera extended his hitting streak to 12 with a one-out single. Norris then retired the next two hitters to escape the jam.

In the fourth, Rasmus crushed a two-out Norris pitch to deep center with Adam Lind on second. Center fielder Adam Jones, however, raced back and made the catch at the base of the fence.

Toronto also got runners to second in the sixth and seventh, but came up empty both times. In the seventh, pinch-hitter Erik Kratz came up with Dioner Navarro on second and two outs and appeared to be hit by a Norris pitch. But home plate umpire Paul Emmel ruled that Kratz swung even though he got hit, therefore the pinch-hitter was ruled out on a strike out.

"He said I swung," Kratz said. "He said it was an easy call, and so it was a strikeout. I think I spent a lot of time up there because I was a little shocked by what he said."

The Blue Jays wasted a strong effort from starter Drew Hutchison in the loss. He threw six scoreless innings, giving up just four hits with five strikeouts and two walks.

In fact, Toronto blanked the Orioles for the first 15 innings of the series until Baltimore broke through in the seventh after Neil Wagner took over for Hutchison. Wagner retired the first two Orioles before Lough singled to left. Jonathan Schoop followed with a double to right-center that scored Lough from first for a 1-0 lead.

The Rasmus homer then tied it in the ninth, and the Blue Jays had two on with two outs in the 10th against Darren O'Day. He ended the rally by getting Edwin Encarnacion to fly out.

Lombardozzi started the winning rally for Baltimore in the 12th with a triple to deep center over the head of Rasmus. Lough then lined the game-winning single to left. Zach Britton (2-0) got the win for the Orioles (5-6) with two innings of shutout relief.

"With the infield in, I was just looking for a good pitch and then try to get it out there somewhere where Lombardozzi could come and score," Lough said. "When Lombardozzi hit the ball I was in the on-deck circle jumping up and down, waving my arms telling him to keep going. It was a good team win."