TORONTO - It was the type of comeback win they've sorely lacked in this sorry season, the kind that makes teams believe in themselves and pushes them forward in the standings.

That it came hours after manager Cito Gaston essentially said the playoff hopes of the Toronto Blue Jays this season were on life support is, depending on your outlook, a sign they have no plans to surrender, or plain cruel irony.

Either way, Tuesday night's 7-6 victory over the Baltimore Orioles after erasing a four-run deficit is a high point in a summer filled with low ones. Scott Rolen's grounder through shortstop Freddie Bynum's legs in the ninth scored Alex Rios to give the Blue Jays their first walkoff win and their biggest comeback of the season.

"We needed a game like that, a come-from-behind game as far as getting the club rolling," said Gaston. "Hopefully it will give us a boost."

The unlikely victory - they were 1-32 when trailing after six innings coming in - before a crowd of 23,276 was just the second in six games for the Blue Jays (43-47), who couldn't fully enjoy things knowing shoulder soreness forced starter Dustin McGowan out of the game after just 66 pitches and four innings.

He's scheduled to have an MRI exam on Wednesday and they can ill-afford to lose him for an extended period with Shaun Marcum already on the disabled list.

"It's been tender, but tonight it really started barking on me," said McGowan, who also felt some discomfort during his last outing. "Tonight, it just went a little overboard with it."

The Blue Jays had squandered several previous chances to walkoff an opponent before finally getting the Orioles (44-44), losers of three straight. B.J. Ryan (2-3) pitched a perfect ninth to set up the celebrations.

Rios, a key player in this one, got things started with a walk off Jim Johnson (2-3) in the bottom of the ninth. He stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error and after an intentional walk to Fredericton's Matt Stairs, came around when Bynum muffed Rolen's roller.

"He booted it," said Orioles manager Dave Trembley. "That's all you can say."

Even with the win, the Blue Jays are now just 12-20 since June 1, a run that prompted Gaston to spend most of his afternoon session with print reporters talking about getting his hitters right for next season, comments that were viewed as a subtle white flag on this year.

Tuesday's win briefly brightened the outlook on what is a daunting uphill climb.

"For one night," said Vernon Wells, 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and a run scored. "If we come back out and continue to swing the bats a little better the rest of this homestand, everyone can go home (for the all-star break), relax and get ready for business in the second half."

The Blue Jays looked like goners in this one after the Orioles extended a 4-2 lead to 6-2 on a two-run single by Nick Markakis in the seventh. But they responded with a four-spot in the bottom of the frame to tie things up, a rare reply featuring clutch hitting and tenacious at-bats strung together.

Rios delivered the big blow with a three-run triple off reliever Dennis Sarfate and scored moments later on Wells' single.

"When you look at the numbers, we haven't come back too often," said Wells. "Obviously this win is a huge one and we need a bunch more like this in order for us to get back in this thing."

McGowan, who hasn't had a strong outing since beating the Mariners 3-1 on June 10, allowed four runs, two earned before pain forced him out of the game.

Aubrey Huff touched him for a solo shot in the first to open the scoring before the Blue Jays gave away a pair of runs in the third.

Adam Jones reached second on a Rolen error, was sacrificed to third and scored on a wild pitch. Brian Roberts then walked, stole second, advanced to third on a Markakis single off second baseman Joe Inglett's glove and scored on Huff's sacrifice fly for a 3-1 Orioles lead.

Jones brought home another run with an RBI double in the fourth.

Wells' RBI single in the first temporarily tied the game 1-1 and Rod Barajas ripped a run-scoring single in a fourth off Daniel Cabrera in an inning that had the promise of so much more.

The Blue Jays proceeded to load the bases before they let Cabrera off the hook with their most frequent rally-killer, the double-play. Adam Lind hit into a 5-4-3 twin-kill to end the threat.

NOTES: Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi said four of the team's top prospects, lefty David Purcey, righty Brett Cecil, catcher J.P. Arencibia and outfielder Travis Snider could all get a look later this season. ... Jays 2B Aaron Hill has yet to begin baseball exercises in his recovery from a concussion but is riding a stationary bike symptom-free. There remains no timetable for his return. ... Orioles left-hander Adam Loewen of Surrey, B.C., was placed on the 15-day disabled list after he re-injured the stress fracture in his left elbow that was surgically repaired last year. The extent of the injury and a course of action have yet to be determined. Lefty Alberto Castillo replaced him on the roster. ... Toronto's biggest previous comeback win this season was from a three-run deficit versus Philadelphia.

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