As the trade deadline inches ever closer, veteran Orioles right-hander Charlie Morton demonstrated his potential and his pitfalls for teams looking to add another arm.

Morton advanced through three innings of the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader relatively unscathed, but he unraveled between the fourth and sixth frames.

In that span, he gave up a home run to Blue Jays right fielder Addison Barger and six of his eight hits. But he walked off the mound with only three runs against him to go along with two strikeouts and three walks.

The Orioles’ offense took it from there, adding on 12 runs for a lopsided 16-4 victory.

After recording a 10.89 ERA in his first five games of the season, Morton has grown his value with each start. Since May 10, when he reestablished his signature curveball, Morton has pitched to a 3.62 ERA. His stabilization and 17 seasons of experience make the 41-year-old a target for teams looking to make a postseason run. After the game, he didn’t mince words about the situation.

“Mike [Elias] is going to have some choices to make,” Morton said. “I wouldn’t say that I’m thinking more about it, necessarily. I do think, though, it’s just kind of becoming more of the reality. And it’s like a moment in time that you know is there, and you know it exists, but you don’t know how it’s going to play out. And as it gets closer, you’re kind of closer to that reckoning moment where something will happen.”

In the home half of the sixth, Tyler O’Neill mashed his fourth home run in his fourth straight game, and, in the next at-bat, Ramón Urías sent another one over the outfield wall. By the time the inning ended, the Orioles were up 10-3.

The Jays pulled most of their everyday starters going into the seventh, signaling that the first game of the doubleheader was a wash. Meanwhile, the Orioles were just getting started.

In the seventh, Gunnar Henderson blasted a three-run long ball. And Urías, who perhaps felt like he needed to make up for a throwing error in the third inning, sent another ball flying into the stands, marking his second career two-home run game.

“The boys are swinging it well, feeling good, so they’re just carrying the momentum, and we’re just feeling good about each other,” Urías said.

By the eighth inning, the Jays put catcher Ali Sánchez on the mound, deciding to save the rest of their pitchers for Game 2.

Baltimore got into Toronto’s bullpen early by knocking Toronto starter Easton Lucas out after 2 2/3 innings. He found the zone with just 43% of his pitches, and he threw his slider, which tied for second in usage this outing, 1.5 miles per hour slower than normal.

The Orioles forced Lucas into seven full counts, and their patience in the box benefited them. As Lucas missed with his pitches, the Orioles pinged fastballs across the field.

In the first inning, Jordan Westburg sent one flying to the centerfield wall. It bounced on top and then landed on the warning track — unlucky for Westburg, whose double would’ve been a homer in nearly half the ballparks across the league.

Baltimore would eventually drive Westburg home with a sacrifice fly by O’Neill to put the Orioles on the scoreboard first. The right fielder’s sac fly was the first of five for Baltimore, setting a new franchise record and tying the league-wide record.

Jackson Holliday and Urías each had one, and Cedric Mullins added two.

O’Neill has contributed in much larger ways since his return from the injured list on July 4. Over his last seven games, he’s 10-for-23 with 10 RBI. And there’s the four homers in four straight games.

Interim manager Tony Mansolino said his outfielder’s hot streak isn’t surprising.

“The people that I know around the league that have had him — and I talked to people just because there’s been so many ups and downs here with his health and whatnot — they’ve all told me, when he gets hot, watch out, because he’ll carry the team," Mansolino said. “That’s kind of what we’re witnessing right now. It’s pretty neat.”