Zach Eflin took the mound on Monday because the Baltimore Orioles squared off in opposition to a red-hot Toronto Blue Jays staff. And one weird and irritating second throughout his outing had Orioles followers calling for a robotic umpire takeover.
Going through Ernie Clement within the high of the fourth inning, Eflin laid a 90 mph sinker proper over the guts of the plate. And the pitch was inexplicably known as a ball.
WHAAAAAT pic.twitter.com/hVrYRmWD3a
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 29, 2025
The perplexing name on the middle-middle providing left Eflin and Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman wanting surprised. Eflin appeared to stare in on the dwelling plate umpire in utter confusion. The missed name swung the rely in Clement’s favor and, after properly taking up the following pitch, the Blue Jays’ second baseman laced a single to middle. He would finally come round to attain on a Will Wagner sacrifice, reducing the Orioles’ result in 6-4.
Orioles overcome horrible missed name to beat red-hot Blue Jays
An in depth evaluation of the pitch does reveal that Rutschman reached barely to the proper to make the catch. Maybe the sudden motion made the umpire imagine that Eflin missed his spot? Both manner, it was a really minor adjustment and there’s actually no excuse for blowing an extremely apparent name on a strike down the center.
Eflin was making his second begin since getting back from a month-long IL stint. He strained his decrease again in a sport in opposition to the Rays in late June. It was his second journey to the Injured Checklist this season, as he additionally missed time with a proper lat pressure in April.
The Tenth-year veteran was going through a Blue Jays staff that had gained eight of its final 10 video games, constructing a 5.5-game lead within the AL East. So Toronto didn’t want the umpire’s assist. Significantly in opposition to an Orioles squad that entered the day 11 video games beneath .500.
Eflin in the end allowed 4 runs on eight hits and one stroll in 4 1/3 innings. Nevertheless, Baltimore’s bullpen stepped up, holding the Blue Jays to only three hits in 4 2/3 scoreless innings. The efficiency was significantly spectacular contemplating Gregory Soto was just lately shipped to the New York Mets and Felix Bautista is on the 15-day IL.
The Orioles’ bats got here alive in opposition to Toronto, with 4 dwelling runs, all from the 6-9 hitters within the lineup. Baltimore pulled off the upset within the sequence opener in opposition to the Blue Jays, successful 11-4. The Orioles have now gained three straight video games after taking two of three in opposition to the Colorado Rockies.