Blue Jays Beat Orioles 13-6
TORONTO (AP) -- Edwin Encarnacion smashed a pair of home runs and Jose Bautista added another to power the Toronto Blue Jays to a 13-6 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night.
Encarnacion's first was a leadoff shot that landed on the batter's eye beyond center field and sparked a six-run second inning.
The second for his fourth of the season was a left-field blast into the top deck of Rogers Centre. It was just the 18th home run to climb that high in the 26-year history of the stadium.
Bautista's two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh off reliever Jason Garcia was his fourth of the year and the 250th of his career. The Blue Jays won for just the third time in eight games at home.
The six-run second, combined with a three-run third, were enough to chase Orioles starter Bud Norris (0-2) after just 2 1-3 innings. It was the second time this season that Norris has failed to make it even as far as the fourth against the Blue Jays.
Toronto starter Mark Buehrle (3-0) went six innings to get his second win against the Orioles this year.
Toronto's fourth run of the second inning prompted Orioles manager Buck Showalter to challenge the call that Dalton Pompey avoided the tag at the plate from catcher Caleb Joseph. The call stood.
Pompey scored three of Toronto's runs, going 3 for 4 with a walk, while Jose Reyes returned to the lineup despite nursing a fractured rib and picked up two RBIs and a stolen base.
UP NEXT
Orioles RH Ubaldo Jimenez (1-0) faces Blue Jays RH Aaron Sanchez (0-2) on Wednesday night. Over three career appearances at Toronto's Rogers Centre, including two starts, Jimenez has an earned-run average of 8.68.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Blue Jays: Rookie second baseman Devon Travis sat out of the lineup with sore ribs after being hit by a pitch on Sunday. Outfielder Michael Saunders, currently on a rehab assignment with Single-A Dunedin after knee surgery during spring training, will "ideally" join the team in Tampa this weekend, said manager John Gibbons. Starter Daniel Norris underwent an MRI on his pitching arm after suffering what he termed a "dead-arm phase" following his last start on Sunday. The test revealed he had nothing more serious than fatigue.
Orioles: Shortstop J.J. Hardy, recovering from a left shoulder strain, is with Triple-A Norfolk and hit off a tee and took ground balls Tuesday, but there is no timetable for his return. According to manager Buck Showalter, catcher Matt Wieters, who is rehabbing following Tommy John surgery, may catch two to three innings on Friday in Sarasota.
(Copyright 2015 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
