As the Toronto Blue Jays’ starting pitcher made a strong first impression, the Orioles’ starter left what was potentially a questionable last one.
In right-hander Alex Cobb’s final start before Monday’s trade deadline, the Orioles lost their fifth straight game to Toronto, falling 5-0 for their 10th loss in 12 games. Cobb worked fewer than five innings for only the second time in seven starts, exiting with two on and no outs in the fifth and five runs in.
A sparkling Orioles debut from 35-year-old journeyman César Valdez in relief spared Cobb’s line from a worse fate, but it wasn’t the type of start that will inspire a team in contention to reach out to Baltimore (14-18) to trade for Cobb and his 2021 salary of $15 million.