TORONTO _ On most days, an Orioles' loss can be dissected into one inning, one play or one pitch.
On Saturday afternoon, it was as simple as an overturned play at second base that led to three unearned runs off right-hander Alex Cobb in the Orioles' 4-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
On that play, shortstop Tim Beckham _ attempting to turn a double play in the fourth inning _ left his feet at second base before catching a throw from Cobb. Justin Smoak was initially ruled out at second, but remained there after the play was overturned following video review.
That was all that needed to happen for Cobb to unravel. A one-run Orioles lead disappeared when Randal Grichuk drove in Smoak on a double to right field. And after Kendrys Morales walked to load the bases, the go-ahead run scored on a 5-4-3 double play ball, and an insurance run came home on Luke Maile's single up the middle that Beckham couldn't reach.
Yes, the Orioles are a team of transition. They've acknowledged they're in the beginning moments of a rebuild. They miss Manny Machado's presence in the batting order and at shortstop. But if their first two games out of the All-Star break are any indication, this could be a really long second half.
Before Saturday's game, Orioles manager Buck Showalter mentioned a line someone once told him that "Effort should never go into a slump and neither should defense."
But a day after two defensive breakdowns on the team's new left side of the infield led to a 10-inning 8-7 loss to the Blue Jays, the Orioles fell flat defensively again.
Cobb was given a 1-0 lead early on Adam Jones' RBI single, the last of three straight singles to open the game. But the Orioles mounted little after that, recording just two hits after the first inning.
Blue Jays starter Marcus Stroman went seven innings and struck out seven.
Cobb, who lasted just five innings, was charged with four runs, but just one earned. His record fell to 2-13 and he now leads the American League in losses.
Tanner Scott struck out the side in the seventh, and closer Zach Britton _ who could be making one of his final appearances in an Orioles uniform _ pitched a scoreless eighth.
