Orioles pitching prospect Keegan Akin's first big league start was a long time coming. So too were the crucial hits in the 11th inning that allowed the Orioles to turn his big day into a 4-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays to avoid a series sweep and halt their losing streak at five games.
Jose Iglesias and Bryan Holaday, a pair of veterans on a club that's getting younger by the day after three trades in the past two days, each had run-scoring doubles in the 11th to give the Orioles (15-19) their first win on this six-game road trip.
The Orioles made the final out of the 10th inning at home after Mason Williams tried to score on a fly ball to right field by Anthony Santander, though the Blue Jays' scoreless 10th might have been more frustrating.
Joe Panik started on second base and was on third with one out when the Orioles pulled left fielder Ryan Mountcastle in as a fifth infielder. It worked, as Cesar Valdez got a pair of ground balls to get out of the inning.
Iglesias and Holaday made all that maneuvering worthwhile, and though Valdez allowed a run in the 11th, Toronto made an out at home of their own when Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was thrown out trying to tie the game on a two-out single to right field by Rowdy Tellez.
Akin attacks the Jays
Akin, who began the season as the Orioles' No. 9 prospect according to Baseball America, had appeared twice in the bullpen so far and was slated to stay there because manager Brandon Hyde said the team was in "win-now mode" and was opting for other pitchers in the rotation.
One of those pitchers, left-hander Tommy Milone, was traded to the Atlanta Braves on Sunday, so the Orioles summoned Akin from the alternate site in Bowie for a long-awaited first start.
Akin responded by cruising through most of the first four innings. He worked around some traffic and long at-bats in a 30-pitch second inning, but got out of it, thanks in part to a nice catch in left field by Mountcastle.
Entering the fifth inning, Akin had already logged six strikeouts and allowed just two hits before catcher Danny Jansen worked an 11-pitch walk and went to third when Panik doubled two pitches later, chasing Akin from the game.
Travis Lakins Sr. got a ground ball to second base that should have been the third out, but Hanser Alberto's throw sailed over Renato Nunez's head at first base to allow two unearned runs on Akin's account.
Akin lowered his ERA to 3.52 and allowed just five Blue Jays to reach base Monday, starting them out with a heavy dose of fastballs then using his changeup and slider as the game progressed to keep them off balance.
