Stripling carries no-hitter into 7th as Blue Jays beat Orioles to avoid series sweep

In his return from a two-week absence because of a right hip strain, starter Ross Stripling provided a near-perfect outing to steady the struggling Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday afternoon.

Stripling was perfect through six innings but wound up with a one-hitter in 6 1/3 innings and seven strikeouts in a 6-1 win against the Baltimore Orioles.

While the 32-year-old Texas resident was in the Blue Jays clubhouse icing down his right shoulder, George Springer ignited a six-run seventh inning with an RBI pinch-hit single to end a three-game losing streak.

The Blue Jays (62-54) have only three wins in 11 outings. The Orioles (61-56) have won 10 of 15 in August to creep too close for comfort to Toronto in the battle for the American League's third and final wild-card spot. They left town 1 1/2 games behind the Blue Jays.

"[Stripling] was a shot in the arm coming back from the IL," interim Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. "He was dialled in. He's been a stabilizing force."

The Blue Jays now have won Stripling's last four starts with three no-decisions.

He enjoyed a 67-pitch, five-inning rehab start for triple-A Buffalo last Friday after last pitching on July 30 against the Detroit Tigers.

His no-hit bid was halted when Cedric Mullins began the seventh inning with a single to centre.

"After the fifth inning [the no-hitter] was on my radar," Stripling admitted.

He and catcher Danny Jansen decided in the dugout before the seventh inning to throw some curve balls to Mullins because they hadn't employed that pitch to the Orioles' leadoff hitter.

On Stripling's 72nd pitch, he retired the next batter, Anthony Santander, with a grounder to first. This sent Schneider to the mound.

Jansen and shortstop Bo Bichette got there first and congratulated their pitcher on his brilliant performance.

But Schneider asked Stripling if he wanted to face the Orioles' Ryan Mountcastle. Stripling, however, admitted he had already "checked out." As a result, he called it a day and departed to a standing ovation from the 40,141 at Rogers Centre.

Reliever Jimi Garcia (2-4) closed the inning and eventually recorded the win after Toronto's offensive outburst in the seventh, in which they sent 11 hitters to the plate.

Springer collects 1,000th hit

Teoscar Hernandez and Bichette started with singles to centre field. Springer then hit for Raimel Tapia and delivered a third straight safety to centre to score Hernandez.

It was Springer's 1,000 career hit and first successful pinch hit.

"I have pinch hit before but with not much success," Springer said. "I have a lot of respect for the guys who do it."

Santiago Espinal, who had three hits on Tuesday, drilled a double to right centre to score two more runs.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. walked with the bases loaded, and Alejandro Kirk smashed a double into the left-centre gap to knock in the fifth and sixth runs.

Joey Krehbiel (4-4) yielded the first two hits in the seventh for the loss, but Cionel Perez gave up the Springer single and Espinal double.

Baltimore starter Austin Voth was solid, too. He allowed only two hits and a walk in six innings with three strikeouts.

Robinson Chirinos knocked in the Orioles' only run in the eighth inning with an infield hit.