A disputed baseline call in the sixth inning swung momentum decisively toward the Toronto Blue Jays, who overcame a two-run deficit to defeat the Baltimore Orioles 6-4 on June 7, 2026, at a game played in Toronto. Second baseman Ernie Clement was ruled safe at second base after umpires determined he had moved to avoid shortstop Gunnar Henderson fielding the ball - not to evade a tag - negating what the Orioles believed was the final out of the inning.
The sequence began when Blue Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela hit a chopper to Henderson, who reached out toward Clement before throwing to first base, expecting Clement to be ruled out for straying from the baseline. Second base umpire Nic Lentz ruled otherwise. "The runner has the right to establish his base path, and so Clement had established his base path to avoid the fielder from potential interference," Lentz told a pool reporter. "Even though Henderson reached out for a tag, Clement's base path was already established out there, going to second base, so therefore it was not out of the baseline." Crew chief Hunter Wendelstedt supported the ruling, describing Clement's movement as him "getting out of the way to allow the fielder to make the play towards first base."
Baltimore manager Craig Albernaz argued the call on the field and remained unconvinced after the game. "I think when you stick your glove out to tag somebody, that's an attempted tag," Albernaz said. "There's no rule about how far you have to extend your arm to tag somebody." Henderson, a standout shortstop and one of the Orioles' offensive cornerstones, called the decision "super frustrating" and said he felt it was "not a great call." Orioles starter Shane Baz, who was removed later in the inning having allowed five runs - one earned - in five and two-thirds innings, voiced his frustration openly as he walked to the dugout. "The only reason I'm not going to talk about that play is because I will get fined," Baz said afterward.
Baltimore led 4-2 with two outs when the ruling was made. Toronto's subsequent rally produced enough runs to close out a 6-4 victory, with Valenzuela also contributing a home run in the eighth inning. The outcome tightened what remains a competitive race in the American League East, where both clubs have featured among the division's contenders through the early weeks of the 2026 season. The two teams were playing the second of what the photo credits indicate was at minimum a two-game series in Toronto, with the Blue Jays taking the June 7 contest.
