BALTIMORE (AP) -- The tying run scored when Brandon Fahey was hit

in the shin on an 0-2 pitch. Then Brian Roberts drew a bases-loaded

walk, and Baltimore got an insurance run via a wild pitch.

Strange stuff, sure, yet that didn't temper any of the delight

the Orioles derived from their 7-5 victory over the Toronto Blue

Jays on Thursday night.

"No matter how you score, it's about winning," said Melvin

Mora, who drove in two runs.

The Orioles trailed 5-4 in the eighth before scoring three runs

-- on just two hits -- against four Toronto relievers.

Ramon Hernandez opened the inning with a double off Francisco

Rosario (1-1) and Kevin Millar walked before Scott Schoeneweis got

Corey Patterson to hit into a force at third.

Javy Lopez then singled off Justin Speier to load the bases, and

Speier forced in a run by hitting Fahey with a pitch.

"I'll take that anytime in that situation. It was 0-2. I'm fine

with that," Fahey said.

After Nick Markakis grounded into a force at the plate, Roberts

walked on a 3-2 pitch to end an eight-pitch at-bat. Scott Downs

came in to face Mora and threw a wild pitch, allowing another run

to score.

"You don't see that often, but we've had enough balls bounce

against us the entire season," Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo said.

"At least the hitters put themselves in a position to fight of

some pitches and give themselves a chance to have something like

that happen."

Speier made no excuses for his wild, uneven performance.

"I made a pitch low and away to Lopez, he flared it to right.

On the 0-2 pitch, I threw a fork ball, made a bad pitch and hit

him. I hooked it. Sometimes it has a mind of its own," the

right-hander said. "I love the ball in that situation. I hope I

get it in the same situation against them in a few days. Make

things right again."

Kurt Birkins (2-0) pitched a perfect eighth and Chris Ray got

three straight outs in the ninth for his 15th save in 15 tries.

Toronto was 30-0 when leading after seven innings; Baltimore was

1-30 when trailing after seven.

Lyle Overbay had three hits for the Blue Jays, who were seeking

to win a fifth straight series. But the bullpen couldn't make it

happen.

"They were tired. We've been using them a lot. We took a

one-run lead into the eighth inning and it got away," Toronto

manager John Gibbons said.

Toronto starter Roy Halladay gave up three earned runs and eight

hits in six innings. The right-hander has gone 10 straight starts

since his lone loss, against Tampa Bay on April 9.

"It was a tough game. I wouldn't say frustrating, more like

challenging, especially later in the game," Halladay said. "A

mental challenge, them having at-bats like that."

Making his second major league start for the Orioles, Adam

Loewen took a 3-2 lead into the sixth, when the Blue Jays used five

straight singles and a bases-loaded walk to score three runs and

take a 5-3 lead.

One-out hits by Bengie Molina, Overbay and Aaron Hill loaded the

bases and chased Loewen. Todd Williams gave up an infield hit to

pinch-hitter Frank Catalanotto, and Reed Johnson put Toronto up

with an RBI single to right before a walk to Vernon Wells forced in

a run.

Loewen allowed five runs, 11 hits and a walk.

The Orioles got a run back in their half of the sixth, using two

Toronto errors and a single to load the bases for Fahey, who drove

in a run with a grounder.

Baltimore completed the comeback in the eighth.

After Loewen retired Shea Hillenbrand with runners at the

corners and two outs in the first inning, the Blue Jays used

two-out RBI singles by Johnson and Alex Rios to take a 2-0 lead in

the second.

Baltimore pulled even in the third, getting four hits --

including RBI singles by Mora and Miguel Tejada.

A sacrifice fly by Mora put the Orioles up 3-2 in the fifth.Game notes
The start of the game was delayed by rain for 40 minutes.

... Steve McNair, signed as quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens

late Thursday afternoon, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. ...

Rios has not gone two straight starts without a hit this season.

... Tejada extended his hitting streak to 11 games. Molina and

Catalanotto stretched theirs to 10.