TORONTO – Ricky Romero came within two outs of a complete game to win for the first time in five starts, J.P. Arencibia homered and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-0 on Wednesday night.

Romero (8-9) struck out Adam Jones to begin the ninth, but was replaced by Jon Rauch after Vladimir Guerrero reached on a wild third strike and Derrek Lee was hit by a pitch. The left-hander allowed four hits, walked three and struck out nine.

Rauch got Matt Wieters and Mark Reynolds to fly out, recording his eighth save in 12 opportunities.

Romero had not won since June 26 at St. Louis, going 0-2 with a 5.87 ERA in four starts. He is 5-1 in his past seven starts against Baltimore, including 4-0 at home.

The Orioles scored a season-high 12 runs and had 16 hits Tuesday, including a season-high eight for extra bases. They couldn’t get anything going against Romero, who set down 11 of 12 in one stretch.

Returning to the lineup one night after he was hit on the helmet by a pitch, Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista started at third base and singled home a run in the first. Bautista, who leads the majors with 31 home runs, went hitless in his final three at-bats but made a leaping catch on Blake Davis’ liner in the eighth.

The Blue Jays made it 2-0 in the second. Rajai Davis hit a one-out single and stole second and third before scoring on a two-out hit by Eric Thames.

Arencibia hit a two-out drive to left in the fourth, his 16th.

Orioles right-hander Alfredo Simon lost for the third time in four starts since joining the rotation earlier this month. Simon (2-4) allowed three runs and seven hits in five innings. He walked two, one intentional, and struck out a season-high seven.

Simon has received just three runs of support in his four starts, all of them in a 6-5 win over Cleveland on July 16.

Baltimore must win Thursday to avoid losing its eighth straight series. The Orioles have not won a series since taking two of three from Cincinnati from June 24-26.

Notes: Toronto had just 22 active players after making two trades earlier Wednesday, dealing RHP Jason Frasor and minor league RHP Zach Stewart to Chicago and sending RHP Octavio Dotel, LHP Marc Rzepczynski and OF Corey Patterson to St. Louis. The Blue Jays recalled LHP Brad Mills from Triple-A Las Vegas to provide depth in the bullpen and will be at full strength Thursday when OF Colby Rasmus, LHP Trever Miller and LHP Brian Tallet arrive from St. Louis, and OF Mark Teahen arrives from the Chicago White Sox. … The Blue Jays signed RHP Jeremy Gabrszwski, their second-round pick in the June draft. … Orioles RHP Brad Bergesen (2-6) will face Toronto RHP Carlos Villanueva (5-2) in Thursday’s series finale.

Jo-Jo Reyes pitches during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. (Abelimages/Getty Images)

In his first career outing against the Cleveland Indians in May, Jo-Jo Reyes picked up his first victory in three years. When he faces the Indians this time, the Toronto Blue Jays left-hander goes for his first win in three weeks.

The Blue Jays will try to snap a three-game skid to the AL Central-leading Indians on Friday night at Progressive Field following a stunning defeat in the series opener.

Trying to avoid becoming the first pitcher in major league history to go winless in 29 starts, Reyes (3-7, 4.85 ERA) threw his first career complete game in an 11-1 win over the visiting Indians (47-39) on May 30.

It was the left-hander’s first victory since June 13, 2008, while with Atlanta.

Reyes enters this contest with an 0-2 record and 8.40 ERA in his last three outings after surrendering four runs over six innings of Sunday’s 7-4 win over Philadelphia. Reyes settled down after giving up four runs in the second inning, but he was far from having his best stuff.

“He wasn’t as sharp. Maybe a little bit of dead arm. A little bit of lack of life through the zone. That happens,” manager John Farrell told the Blue Jays’ official website. “But Jo-Jo kept us in the game.”

The Blue Jays (42-47) were two outs from winning Thursday, but Travis Hafner’s walkoff grand slam capped a five-run ninth and sent Toronto to its third straight loss and eighth defeat in 11 games.

“That’s a gut-wrenching loss,” Farrell said.

It was Cleveland’s 20th comeback win.

“That was an amazing comeback,” said Indians manager Manny Acta, whose team has won nine of 11 in this matchup. “Before that, it was eight of the most boring innings all season.”

Cleveland will go for its sixth straight victory at home against the Blue Jays with Mitch Talbot (2-5, 5.60) on the hill.

The right-hander, 1-5 with a 6.86 ERA in eight starts since returning from a right elbow strain, has struggled early in his outings. Twenty of the 33 runs he’s allowed have come in the first three innings of his starts.

“I’m going to have to go to [Pitching coach Tim Belcher] Belch and see what he’s seeing,” Talbot said after giving up six runs in four innings of Sunday’s 7-5 loss at Cincinnati. “… I don’t know what to do right now.”

Not many pitchers do lately when facing Toronto’s Jose Bautista. The All-Star is batting .407 (11 for 27) while homering in five of seven games this month. His solo shot in the ninth inning Thursday was his major league-best 29th — tying George Bell’s 24-year-old club record for homers before the All-Star break.

Bautista is 2-for-7 with a homer off Talbot, who yielded one run in 6 2-3 innings of a 6-3 victory at Toronto on May 31.

There’s a chance Indians rookie third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall could be out the rest of this series after getting hit by a pitch from Carlos Villanueva on Thursday and suffering a facial contusion.

“He will see a specialist tomorrow,” Acta said of the club’s No. 1 draft pick in 2008.

Rajai Davis and Jose Bautista lead the Blue Jays and their red-hot offence back home to face the Red Sox.

Jo-Jo Reyes shares one of the most dubious marks in baseball history. His past two starts for the Toronto Blue Jays have made it seem like a distant memory.

However, winning a career-high third straight outing promises to be difficult against the streaking Boston Red Sox.

Reyes takes the mound Friday night for the series opener against visiting Boston, which is in search of its seventh consecutive win.

Reyes (2-4, 4.16 ERA) tied Matt Keough’s major league record of 28 consecutive winless starts May 25 when he fell to the New York Yankees. After a complete-game victory May 30 against Cleveland, the left-hander beat Baltimore 7-4 on Sunday while allowing three runs in 6 1-3 innings.

“It felt good (Sunday), and as long as I keep up the quality starts I know (a winning streak) going to come,” Reyes said.

He’s never won three straight and his last outing against Boston on April 16 didn’t go so well, giving up four runs in three innings of a 4-1 loss. It likely won’t be any easier this time around with the Red Sox (36-26) clicking offensively.

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Boston completed a three-game sweep of the rival Yankees on Thursday with an 8-3 victory, the team’s sixth straight. The Red Sox have scored at least six runs in each victory during their surge, and six different players had an RBI in the series finale.

Boston broke the game open with a seven-run seventh inning. Adrian Gonzalez, who is 3 for 6 with four walks against Reyes, drove in two runs and scored another.

David Ortiz singled to start the pivotal seventh, and capped the rally with a two-run double. The veteran slugger is batting .471 with four homers, five doubles and 12 RBIs during a nine-game hitting streak.

“He feels good about himself, and he should,” Boston manager Terry Francona said.

Clay Buchholz (4-3, 3.82 ERA) looks to keep the Red Sox rolling by continuing his dominance of the Blue Jays (32-31). Buchholz is 6-1 with a 2.42 ERA in his last eight starts against Toronto, but didn’t earn a decision April 15 after allowing three runs in five innings.

The right-hander also hasn’t factored into the decision of his last four overall outings. He gave up six runs in 4 2-3 innings last Friday against Oakland, but Boston rallied to win 8-6.

Buchholz will face an inconsistent Toronto offence which is coming off a 3-2 loss Thursday against Kansas City. The Blue Jays sandwiched eight- and nine-run performances between a pair of losses in which they scored twice, splitting the four-game set with the Royals.

Toronto left the bases loaded in the ninth inning Thursday.

Adam Lind continued his hot stretch with three hits, improving to 9 for 18 with four home runs and 10 RBIs over his last five games. The first baseman is 9 for 26 with two homers lifetime against Buchholz.

Jose Bautista walked Thursday, reaching base safely for the 52nd time in 55 games. He’s hitting .231 over his last eight games, however, and the slugger is 5 for 27 in his last seven games against Boston.

The Blue Jays and Red Sox have split six meetings this season.

Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia sat out Thursday’s game with a bone bruise on his right kneecap. His status for Friday is unclear.

The Toronto Blue Jays look to bounce back Friday behind Kyle Drabek (3-3, 4.34), following a disappointing loss to Chicago Thursday.

Third baseman John McDonald and first baseman Juan Rivera made critical errors in the ninth inning Thursday, leading to Chicago’s unearned runs. McDonald made his first error of the season, though Toronto came into the game with the third-most errors in the AL.

Watch it live on Rogers Sportsnet at 7 p.m. ET.

“We’ve certainly become accustomed to John’s outstanding defense but tonight it didn’t work that way,” manager John Farrell said.

The loss was the Jays third straight and came on the heels of dropping two of three in New York.

Thursday: Defensive miscues cost Jays

Drabek has been better in his last two starts, going 1-1 with a 2.77 ERA after he was 0-2 with an 8.31 ERA in his previous three. He allowed three runs in six innings Sunday in a 3-2 loss to Houston.

The second-year right-hander will be making only his third start at Rogers Centre after making eight of his first 10 starts on the road.

Jose Bautista, who leads the majors with 19 home runs, is 3 for 17 (.176) over his last five games. The Blue Jays (24-26) have lost four of those contests.

Yunel Escobar homered Thursday, and Corey Patterson went 2 for 4. Patterson has hit Chicago starter Mark Buehrle the best of anyone in Toronto’s lineup, going 7 for 20 (.350) with a home run against the left-hander.

Davidi’s Jays Notebook: Closers, McGowan and Carlson

The White Sox (24-28) had lost 10 of their last 12 games in Toronto before Thursday’s 3-1 victory, scoring two unearned runs in the ninth to break a tie.

Chicago began the season 11-22, but has since won 13 of 19 to climb ahead of Kansas City and Minnesota in the AL Central.

Buehrle (4-3, 3.92 ERA) has been on a roll of his own, going 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA in his last four starts and pitching into the seventh inning in each. Buehrle has had success in recent years against the Blue Jays, going 5-2 with a 1.78 ERA in his last eight starts against them.

Davidi on Reyes rumours: Jays just looking
He’s at least pitched into the eighth inning and allowed two earned runs or less in seven of those outings.

However, Adam Dunn has continued to struggle. He struck out in each of his four at-bats Thursday after manager Ozzie Guillen dropped him to seventh in the batting order.

Dunn is hitting .186 with a major league-high 65 strikeouts.

“Right now he’s kind of frustrated, you can see him start to worry about it,” Guillen said. “After every at-bat, he’s very down. But I’ve got to continue to play him. I hope batting him seventh gives him a break and allows him to relax a little bit.”

The Chicago White Sox have seemed to put their dreadful start behind them
with a solid run in May. After their most recent victory, they hope their woes
in Toronto are in the past as well.

Chicago sends the streaking Mark Buehrle(notes) to the hill Friday night against
the Toronto Blue Jays, losers of three straight.

The White Sox (24-28) had lost 10 of their last 12 games in Toronto before
Thursday’s 3-1 victory, scoring two unearned runs in the ninth to break a tie.
Juan Pierre(notes) drove in the winning run with an infield single to cap a 2 for 4
night which extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

Chicago began the season 11-22, but has since won 13 of 19 to climb ahead of
Kansas City and Minnesota in the AL Central.

“Tonight it just felt good to drive in some runs.” Pierre said. “I’ve
been leaving them out there a lot the last week, so it’s good to drive in some
runs.”

Buehrle (4-3, 3.92 ERA) has been on a roll of his own, going 3-0 with a 2.25
ERA in his last four starts and pitching into the seventh inning in each. The
quick-working left-hander allowed two runs through seven innings Saturday in a
9-2 victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Buehrle has had success in recent years against the Blue Jays, going 5-2 with
a 1.78 ERA in his last eight starts against them. He’s at least pitched into the
eighth inning and allowed two earned runs or less in seven of those outings.

However, Adam Dunn(notes) has continued to struggle. He struck out in each of his
four at-bats Thursday after manager Ozzie Guillen dropped him to seventh in the
batting order. Dunn is hitting .186 with a major league-high 65 strikeouts.

“Right now he’s kind of frustrated, you can see him start to worry about
it,” Guillen said. “After every at-bat, he’s very down. But I’ve got to continue
to play him. I hope batting him seventh gives him a break and allows him to
relax a little bit.”

Toronto’s slugger is fighting through a slump of his own.

Jose Bautista(notes), who leads the majors with 19 home runs, is 3 for 17 (.176)
over his last five games. The Blue Jays (24-26) have lost four of those
contests.

Yunel Escobar(notes) homered Thursday, and Corey Patterson(notes) went 2 for 4. Patterson
has hit Buehrle the best of anyone in Toronto’s lineup, going 7 for 20 (.350)
with a home run against the left-hander.

Third baseman John McDonald(notes) and first baseman Juan Rivera(notes) made critical
errors in the ninth inning Thursday, leading to Chicago’s unearned runs.
McDonald made his first error of the season, though Toronto came into the game
with the third-most errors in the AL.

“We’ve certainly become accustomed to John’s outstanding defense but
tonight it didn’t work that way,” manager John Farrell said.

The Blue Jays look to bounce back Friday behind Kyle Drabek(notes) (3-3, 4.34).

The second-year right-hander has been better in his last two starts, going
1-1 with a 2.77 ERA after he was 0-2 with an 8.31 ERA in his previous three. He
allowed three runs in six innings Sunday in a 3-2 loss to Houston.

Drabek will be making only his third start at Rogers Centre after making
eight of his first 10 starts on the road.

TORONTO (AP)—The Toronto Blue Jays have appointed former star Roberto Alomar to the position of special assistant to the organization.

Alomar recently became the first player inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame as a Blue Jay.

The team said Thursday that Alomar will be involved with baseball operations and community efforts.

DUNEDIN — David Price gave up his first three runs of the spring and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 Wednesday when Jon Diaz hit a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth.

Toronto second baseman Aaron Hill, sidelined with tightness in his right quadriceps muscle, played for the first time this spring in a “B” game against Philadelphia. Hill, who first experienced tightness during a running drill in training camp, doubled off Phillies right-hander Drew Naylor in his second at-bat and was replaced by a pinch-runner.

Hill said he was ready to try to score from second on a base hit, but “they already had that planned. I don’t think they planned on me hitting that double, either.

“I just wanted to see some live pitching. I love live pitching. I only saw a couple the other day (in batting practice). It’s totally different when you get out there in the box.”

Against the Rays, Jose Bautista was a late scratch due to mild tightness in his left quadriceps muscle. Toronto manager John Farrell said Bautista probably will play Thursday against Pittsburgh.

“Early in the spring, no need to push it,” Bautista said. “If this had been a regular-season game I probably would have played.”

Blue Jays right-hander Brandon Morrow allowed two singles and struck out four in three scoreless innings.

Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run homer in the second off Price that was helped by wind blowing out to right field.

The Rays scored in the fourth on Dan Johnson’s triple off the right field wall and Felipe Lopez’s single.

Tampa Bay went ahead 4-3 in the sixth when Johnson hit a two-run double and Diaz hit a single to left.

Price said it was “the best I’ve felt all spring for sure, arm-wise, body-wise.

“I’ve still got a long way to go before the first of the season, so I still got a couple more starts to work on some things.”