Pete Alonso delivered the big blow, Chris Bassitt earned the win, and the Baltimore Orioles knocked off the Toronto Blue Jays 4-2 at Camden Yards on Tuesday, September 22, 2026. Alonso's two-run home run off Max Scherzer — the only extra-base hit in the Orioles' four-hit night — supplied the margin that Baltimore's bullpen then protected through nine innings. The victory hands the Orioles a clean divisional win in a game with AL East implications late in the regular season.

Pete Alonso Provides the Knockout Punch Against Scherzer

Scherzer was sharp in stretches — seven strikeouts over five innings — but he couldn't keep Alonso in the yard. The first baseman connected for a two-run shot, finishing 1-for-3 with two RBI as the only Orioles hitter to drive in a run on the night. That home run accounted for half of Baltimore's total offense and was the decisive moment of the ballgame.

Scherzer allowed all four Baltimore runs on four hits and three walks across five innings, taking the loss. The Orioles did enough damage in that early window to make his exit the turning point of the game.

Chris Bassitt Works Five Innings for the Win

Bassitt gave Baltimore what it needed, even if the line wasn't sparkling. He went five innings, allowing seven hits and two earned runs while striking out two and walking one. Toronto threatened in multiple frames — seven hits against a starter is a recipe for trouble — but Bassitt limited the damage and kept the Blue Jays from stringing together a rally that matched his team's output.

He picked up the win, improving Baltimore's rotation depth heading into the final days of the regular season.

Orioles Bullpen Slams the Door

The back end of Baltimore's bullpen was the story after Bassitt exited. Four relievers combined for four shutout innings, holding Toronto scoreless from the sixth inning on.

  • Luis De León: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 K — navigated trouble without allowing a run
  • Anthony Nunez: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB — clean work through the seventh
  • Rico Garcia: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER — a quiet eighth inning
  • Andrew Kittredge: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 K — closed it out in the ninth for the save

Kittredge worked around a hit in the ninth to record the save, giving Baltimore a clean finish in a game where the margin never felt comfortable enough to fully relax.

Toronto's Offense Had Opportunities but Couldn't Capitalize

The Blue Jays generated contact. Andrés Giménez, Brandon Valenzuela, and Ernie Clement each collected two hits, with Valenzuela driving in one run. But Toronto went 1-for-whenever-it-mattered against the Baltimore bullpen after the fifth, stranding runners and leaving the Camden Yards crowd without any real drama in the late innings.

The Blue Jays' two runs came against Bassitt, and once the bullpen took over, Toronto's lineup couldn't push across another.

Turning Point: Alonso's Home Run Off Scherzer

This game had one hinge, and it was Alonso going deep. Scherzer striking out seven batters over five innings is normally enough to keep a team in a game; giving up a two-run shot to Alonso wasn't. That swing flipped the dynamic and gave Baltimore a cushion that its bullpen — which combined for four scoreless innings — was more than capable of protecting.

What's Next for the Orioles

Baltimore picks up a divisional win in the 2026 regular season and will look to carry the momentum forward as the schedule winds down. The Orioles' pitching staff — starters and relievers alike — performed when it counted on Tuesday night, and Alonso's bat provided the run support that made it all hold up.