Baltimore, MD (SportsNetwork.com) – Josh Donaldson and Dioner Navarro each
drove in three runs as the Toronto Blue Jays spoiled Baltimore’s home opener
with a 12-5 win over the Orioles.
Toronto scored four first-inning runs and added five more in the fourth to
force an early exit from Baltimore starter Bud Norris. The Blue Jays’ top
three hitters, Jose Reyes, Dalton Pompey and Jose Bautista, combined to reach
base nine times and score seven runs.
Norris (0-1) was charged with eight runs in three-plus innings.
Veteran lefty Mark Buehrle (1-0) earned his 200th career win after allowing
two runs on eight hits and two walks in six innings.
Adam Jones hit a solo home run and was a triple shy of the cycle in a 4-for-4
game for Baltimore. New Oriole Travis Snider had a pair of hits against his
old organization.
The Blue Jays struck quickly with three straight hits to open the game.
Bautista’s single opened the scoring and after Edwin Encarnacion brought
Pompey with a sac fly, Navarro scored a pair with a double.
Jones got one of those runs back with his first homer of the season in the
bottom of the first, but Baltimore could not take advantage of a scoring
opportunity in the third before Toronto blew the game open.
After Chris Davis’ single put runners on the corners with one out, Delmon
Young grounded into a double play on the first pitch to end the inning.
Already leading 5-1, Toronto loaded the bases against Norris with no outs in
the fourth, and Brad Brach was summoned to try and limit the damage. He struck
out Reyes, but Pompey’s second double of the game scored two runs. Bautista
singled home another run, and Donaldson’s two-run double with two outs capped
the big inning and increased the lead to 10-1.
The Blue Jays conceded a pair of runs in the eighth inning and after adding
their 12th of the game in the final frame, Baltimore’s Jonathan Schoop took
Marco Estrada deep for a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth.
Game Notes
Baltimore is 17-7 in home openers at Camden Yards … Norris had won nine
straight decisions against AL East opponents … The Blue Jays piled up eight
doubles among their 16 hits … Bautista left the game with cramping after 5
1/2 innings … Prior to the game, Orioles broadcaster and Hall of Fame
pitcher Jim Palmer threw out the first pitch, 50 years after he made his major
league debut. Baltimore also presented 2014 Gold Glove awards to Jones and
shortstop J.J. Hardy.
