TORONTO (AP)—Baseball has taught Jeremy Guthrie(notes) not to worry about things
beyond his control, so the Orioles pitcher insists he’s not concerned about an
ugly win-loss mark.

Record aside, Guthrie remains focused on his own performance. He had every
reason to be happy Friday night.

Guthrie pitched three-hit ball for seven innings, Vladimir Guerrero(notes) and Nick
Markakis(notes) each drove in a run and Baltimore beat the Toronto Blue Jays 2-0, their
third straight victory.

“You can’t ever lose a game if you give up zero runs,” Guthrie said.
“That’s the ultimate job a pitcher can do.”

The major league leader in losses, Guthrie (7-17) came in having won just
once in his past six starts and was seeking to avoid setting a career high for
defeats. The right-hander made sure of that in a stellar outing. He walked three
and struck out five.

“It was all about Jeremy tonight,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said.
“He was solid. He commanded the fastball. When it’s there for him, he presents
a lot of issues.”

Catcher Matt Wieters(notes) was pleased with Guthrie’s effort.

“He had all four pitches working,” Wieters said. “He was able to keep his
tempo and keep his pace all night. It seemed like he was in control throughout
the whole game.”

As much as he’d like to avoid losing 20, Guthrie said he learned years ago
not to get too wrapped up with his own record.

“Baseball teaches you that so many things are out of your control,” he
said. “My first season in Baltimore was a big lesson. I felt like I had a
chance to win a lot of games. To get a ‘W’ next to your name, a lot of things
have to happen. You’re dependent on four things: your execution, your defense,
your offense and the bullpen. I can only control one of four, which means I have
25 percent control over getting a ‘W’ or an ‘L’ next to my name at the end of
the day.”

Pedro Strop(notes) worked the eighth and Jim Johnson(notes) pitched around a leadoff walk
to close it out in the ninth for his fourth save in eight opportunities.

Baltimore opened the scoring with an unearned run in the sixth, taking
advantage of a throwing error by Blue Jays second baseman Kelly Johnson(notes). Robert
Andino(notes) led off with a single but was erased at second on J.J. Hardy’s(notes) fielder’s
choice. Johnson overthrew first base as he tried to complete the double play,
allowing Hardy to move to second. One out later, Guerrero drove in Hardy with a
single to left.

“He hit a great pitch, curveball down,” Blue Jays left-hander Brett Cecil(notes)
said. “That’s just the type of hitter he is. Seems like you can never fool
him.”

The Orioles benefited from another missed double-play opportunity by Toronto
in the eighth. With one out and runners at the corners, Nick Markakis grounded
into a fielder’s choice, with Hardy forced out at second. Markakis beat the
relay throw from Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar(notes) on a bang-bang play at first,
allowing Ryan Adams(notes) to score from third. Toronto manager John Farrell did not
dispute umpire Jim Wolf’s call.

The hard-luck loser was Cecil (4-9), who has not won since July 29 against
Texas, a span of eight starts. Cecil allowed two runs, one earned, and seven
hits in 7 2-3 innings. He walked one and struck out a season-high nine.

“(Cecil) was really good,” Showalter said. “The key to being in that
ballgame is the pitching job our guy did to try and match up with him because
you’re not going to beat him unless you get a similar outing from your guy.”

Cecil had to jump over the jagged end of Adam Jones’(notes) bat after the Orioles’
outfielder got sawn off in the fourth inning. The barrel of the bat bounced off
the mound, with Cecil kicking his legs up to avoid being struck. Jones
eventually struck out.

After missing two games with a sore right wrist, Adam Lind(notes) doubled to begin
the second and advanced to third on Brett Lawrie’s(notes) sacrifice. But Johnson struck
out and J.P. Arencibia(notes) grounded out.

A throwing error by first baseman Mark Reynolds(notes) and a walk to Yunel Escobar
gave the Blue Jays runners at first and second with one out in the eighth, but
Strop got Eric Thames(notes) to ground into a double play.

“That was probably the one legitimate and true opportunity we had to mount
something,” Farrell said.

Blue Jays right-hander Kyle Drabek(notes) made his first appearance since June 12,
coming out of the bullpen to work the ninth. Drabek was sent to Triple-A Las
Vegas after going 4-5 with a 5.70 ERA in 14 starts.

NOTES: Jose Bautista(notes) slammed his bat into the padded railing at the top of
the dugout steps after striking out swinging to begin the seventh. … Guthrie
also lost 17 games in 2009. … Guthrie passed 1,000 innings for his career.
He’s pitched 1,001 1-3 innings over eight seasons. … Toronto was shut out for
the eighth time this season. … Orioles INF Chris Davis(notes), who was activated of
the DL Tuesday after missing more than three weeks with an injured right
shoulder, took extra BP before the game but was held out of the starting lineup.
Davis had played the past three games. … Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said
RHP Jason Berken’s(notes) return is “imminent.” Berken has been out since Aug. 22
with a strained right forearm. … Toronto OF Colby Rasmus(notes) (right wrist) will
play two rehab games with Double-A New Hampshire Saturday and Sunday and is
expected to come off the DL and rejoin the Blue Jays Tuesday in Boston. Toronto
is off Monday. Rasmus has not played since Aug. 23.

The Blue Jays didn’t make the most of early offensive opportunities and, while they took advantage of numerous mistakes by the bumbling Orioles, they couldn’t put Baltimore away.

In the 10th, they ran into some old-fashioned bad luck, when right-hander Casey Janssen came up with a tight lat in his throwing shoulder and couldn’t return to the mound after dispatching the Orioles on 13 pitches in the ninth.

“We’re going to evaluate him, see where he’s at,” said acting Toronto manager Don Wakamatsu, adding that he didn’t believe Janssen’s injury was serious.

Wakamatsu was filling in for manager John Farrell, who remained in Toronto while being treated for pneumonia. Farrell is expected to miss the three-game series in Baltimore.

The Orioles botched their bunt defense, muffed an infield pop fly for an error, twice failed to get bunts down successfully and blew a one-run lead in the ninth inning. Yet one swing of rookie Ryan Adams’ bat erased their many miscues.

“It wasn’t looking good there for a minute, but we battled back,” said Adams, who capped a two-run rally in the bottom of the 10th with an RBI single.

Matt Wieters led off the Baltimore 10th by drawing a walk off Tallet (0-2). Mark Reynolds walked and, after Robert Andino bunted a foul third strike, pinch hitter Jake Fox hit a game-tying single to right with Reynolds taking third.

Adams followed with a deep fly ball off the warning track in right-center beyond a drawn-in outfield.

“In that situation, I was just trying to get the ball in the air,” Adams said. “They were playing (the outfield) in and I got a pitch up. Right away, I knew it was going to be deep enough to get him in.”

The victory went to Willie Eyre (1-0), whose wild pitch in the top of the 10th had put the Blue Jays ahead 5-4. That was the last in a long line of mental and physical mistakes that failed to undo the resilient Orioles.

Andino’s 10th-inning bunt attempt was the second time he was unable to advance runners, and some shoddy defense in the ninth contributed to a delayed — and undefended double steal — as Toronto tied the game on Yunel Escobar’s sacrifice fly.

“I know exactly what should have happened and didn’t happen and it won’t happen again, especially considering the people,” said Baltimore manager Buck Showalter when asked about the wacky bunt play.

Wieters homered for Baltimore, which has won seven of nine.

The Blue Jays have lost five of six.

“You’ve got to take it as it comes and analyze it and you’ve just got to suck it up and move on to tomorrow,” said Toronto’s Brett Lawrie. “There’s no sense in dwelling on it. You’ve got to come back tomorrow and keep playing.”

TORONTO (AP) — Edwin Encarnacion has been doing it all for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Their hottest hitter came up with a game-winner Sunday, hitting an RBI single in the 10th inning and Toronto beat the Los Angeles Angels 5-4 in 10 innings.

Encarnacion has reached base safely in 16 of his past 28 plate appearances and is riding a season-high 13-game hitting streak. He’s hitting .409 (18 for 44) over that span.

“He feels very good at the plate and is obviously seeing the ball well,” Blue Jays manager John Farrell said. “He’s not expanding the strike zone, he’s getting good pitches to hit, and he has done an excellent job for us.”

Encarnacion, who did not speak to reporters, was batting .240 on July 6. He had a three-hit game the next night, a four-hit game the following night and hasn’t looked back since. He went 2 for 5 Sunday, boosting his average to .287.

“When you look at the total number of walks he has drawn since the All-Star break, it’s a drastic difference from the first half,” Farrell said.

Eighteen of Encarnacion’s 27 walks this season have come since the break.

Yunel Escobar walked to begin the 10th against Fernando Rodney (2-5). Mark Teahen struck out and Jose Bautista walked before Hisanori Takahashi came on to retire Adam Lind on a popup. Encarnacion followed with a base hit up the alley in left-center, scoring Escobar with the winning run as Encarnacion’s teammates ran out and mobbed him at second base.

“Not a good road trip,” Angels outfielder Torii Hunter said of a 2-4 swing through New York and Toronto. “We’ll just have to try and bounce back, starting tomorrow.”

Second in the AL West, the Angels return home Monday to open a four-game series against Texas. The Angels play the Rangers seven times in their next 12 games.

“It’s make or break here coming up,” starter Dan Haren said. “This is probably one of the toughest stretches of our schedule.”

Sunday’s defeat was the fifth time this season the Angels have lost when leading after eight innings.

“We feel that if we get leads on a consistent basis, we’re going to hold them,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “Our issue has been the margins by which we’ve been getting leads late has been very, very tight. With deep offenses, that one-run lead in the eighth or ninth puts a lot of pressure on guys.”

Jon Rauch (5-3) pitched one inning for Toronto.

Trailing 4-3 to begin the ninth against Angels closer Jordan Walden, Colby Rasmus hit a one-out double off the wall in right and scored when rookie Brett Lawrie followed with a double to center.

“I missed with a couple of fastballs,” Walden said. “I should have kept them down. One of those days, I guess.”

For Walden, the blown save was his major league-leading eighth of the season. He’s blown six on the road, also most in the big leagues.

Bautista hit his major-league leading 34th home run and Eric Thames also connected for the Blue Jays, who had lost six of 10 coming in.

“Jordan is still going through his growing pains as a closer,” Scioscia said. “He just couldn’t close out that ninth.”

Walden’s blown save spoiled a solid effort by Haren, who allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings. He walked none and struck out five.

The Angels opened the scoring with a two-out rally in the first. Bobby Abreu singled and came home when Hunter followed with a drive to left, his 15th.

Peter Bourjos tripled in the third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Alberto Callaspo but the Blue Jays closed the gap with two runs in the fourth.

Haren had set down the first 10 batters in order before Thames homered to right. Bautista followed with a drive to center, breaking a tie with New York Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson. It was the seventh time this season the Blue Jays have gone back-to-back.

Bautista had gone 3 for 28 with 11 strikeouts since his most recent homer, Aug. 4 at Tampa Bay.

The Angels made it 4-2 in the fifth on back-to-back doubles by Bobby Wilson and Bourjos but Toronto answered in the sixth when John McDonald doubled, took third on a fly ball and scored on an RBI groundout by Thames.

McDonald reached on an infield single to begin the eighth against Downs and moved to second on Yunel Escobar’s sacrifice. Rajai Davis pinch hit for Thames and hit a grounder to short, with McDonald getting thrown out at third. Davis tore his left hamstring while running to first, and was replaced by Mark Teahen.

Blue Jays left-hander Brett Cecil allowed four runs and five hits in seven innings, the fifth time in six starts he has worked at least seven. He walked none and struck out three.

NOTES: Davis was placed on the 15-day DL and the Blue Jays recalled Mike McCoy from Triple-A Las Vegas. … Angels C Jeff Mathis, who was hit on the left hand by a pitch Saturday, did not start. X-rays were negative. … Lawrie swiped third base in the ninth, his first career stolen base. … Toronto 2B Aaron Hill sat out his second straight game but GM Alex Anthopoulos insisted Hill has not lost his starting job. Hill is stuck in a 6 for 36 slump. McDonald made his second consecutive start in place of Hill. … The Blue Jays signed three picks from the June draft, including third-round pick RHP John Stilson.

“Not a good road trip,” Angels outfielder Torii Hunter said of the 2-4 swing through New York and Toronto. “We’ll just have to try and bounce back, starting tomorrow.”

Second in the AL West, the Angels return home Monday to open a four-game series against Texas. The Angels play the Rangers seven times in their next 12 games.

“It’s make or break here coming up,” starter Dan Haren said. “This is probably one of the toughest stretches of our schedule.”

Sunday’s defeat was the fifth time this season the Angels have lost when leading after eight innings.

“We feel that if we get leads on a consistent basis, we’re going to hold them,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “Our issue has been the margins by which we’ve been getting leads late has been very, very tight. With deep offenses, that one-run lead in the eighth or ninth puts a lot of pressure on guys.”

Yunel Escobar walked to begin the 10th against Fernando Rodney (2-5). Mark Teahen struck out and Jose Bautista walked before Takahashi came on to retire Adam Lind on a popup. Encarnacion followed with a base hit up the alley in left-center, scoring Escobar with the winning run as Encarnacion’s teammates ran out and mobbed him at second base.

“He feels very good at the plate and is obviously seeing the ball well,” Blue Jays manager John Farrell said of Encarnacion, who is on a season-high 13-game hitting streak. “He’s not expanding the strike zone, he’s getting good pitches to hit, and he has done an excellent job for us.”

Jon Rauch (5-3) pitched one inning for Toronto.

The Angels had a 4-3 lead in the ninth inning but Colby Rasmus hit a one-out double against All-Star closer Jordan Walden and rookie Brett Lawrie followed with a double to center.

“I missed with a couple of fastballs,” Walden said. “I should have kept them down. One of those days, I guess.”

It was Walden’s major league-leading eighth blown save opportunity of the season. The rookie has blown six on the road, also most in the big leagues.

Bautista hit his major league-leading 34th homer and Eric Thames also connected for the Blue Jays, who had lost six of 10 coming in.

“Jordan is still going through his growing pains as a closer,” Scioscia said. “He just couldn’t close out that ninth.”

Walden’s blown save spoiled a solid effort by Haren, who allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings.

The Angels opened the scoring with a two-out rally in the first. Bobby Abreu singled and came home when Hunter followed with a drive to left, his 15th.

Peter Bourjos tripled in the third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Alberto Callaspo but the Blue Jays closed the gap with two runs in the fourth.

Haren set down the first 10 batters in order before Thames homered to right. Bautista followed with a drive to center, breaking a tie with New York Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson. It was the seventh time this season the Blue Jays have gone back-to-back.

Bautista had gone 3 for 28 with 11 strikeouts since his most recent homer, Aug. 4 at Tampa Bay.

The Angels made it 4-2 in the fifth on back-to-back doubles by Bobby Wilson and Bourjos but Toronto answered in the sixth when John McDonald doubled, took third on a fly ball and scored on a groundout by Thames.

McDonald reached on an infield single to begin the eighth against Downs and moved to second on Escobar’s sacrifice. Rajai Davis hit for Thames and hit a grounder to shortstop, with McDonald getting thrown out at third. Davis tore his left hamstring while running to first, and was replaced by Mark Teahen.

Blue Jays left-hander Brett Cecil allowed four runs and five hits in seven innings, the fifth time in six starts he has worked at least seven.

NOTES: Davis was placed on the 15-day disabled list and the Blue Jays recalled Mike McCoy from Triple-A Las Vegas. … Angels C Jeff Mathis, who was hit on the left hand by a pitch Saturday, did not start. X-rays were negative. … Lawrie swiped third in the ninth, his first career stolen base. … Toronto 2B Aaron Hill sat out his second straight game but general manager Alex Anthopoulos insisted Hill has not lost his starting job. Hill is stuck in a 6-for-36 slump. McDonald made his second consecutive start in place of Hill. … The Blue Jays signed three picks from the June draft, including third-round pick RHP John Stilson.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

CBSSports.com wire reports
Aug. 14, 2011

TORONTO — Edwin Encarnacion has been doing it all for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Their hottest hitter came up with a game-winner Sunday, hitting an RBI single in the 10th inning and Toronto beat the Los Angeles Angels 5-4 in 10 innings.

Encarnacion has reached base safely in 16 of his past 28 plate appearances and is riding a season-high 13-game hitting streak. He’s hitting .409 (18 for 44) over that span.

“He feels very good at the plate and is obviously seeing the ball well,” Blue Jays manager John Farrell said. “He’s not expanding the strike zone, he’s getting good pitches to hit, and he has done an excellent job for us.”

Encarnacion, who did not speak to reporters, was batting .240 on July 6. He had a three-hit game the next night, a four-hit game the following night and hasn’t looked back since. He went 2 for 5 Sunday, boosting his average to .287.

“When you look at the total number of walks he has drawn since the All-Star break, it’s a drastic difference from the first half,” Farrell said.

Eighteen of Encarnacion’s 27 walks this season have come since the break.

Yunel Escobar walked to begin the 10th against Fernando Rodney (2-5). Mark Teahen struck out and Jose Bautista walked before Hisanori Takahashi came on to retire Adam Lind on a popup. Encarnacion followed with a base hit up the alley in left-center, scoring Escobar with the winning run as Encarnacion’s teammates ran out and mobbed him at second base.

“Not a good road trip,” Angels outfielder Torii Hunter said of a 2-4 swing through New York and Toronto. “We’ll just have to try and bounce back, starting tomorrow.”

Second in the AL West, the Angels return home Monday to open a four-game series against Texas. The Angels play the Rangers seven times in their next 12 games.

“It’s make or break here coming up,” starter Dan Haren said. “This is probably one of the toughest stretches of our schedule.”

Sunday’s defeat was the fifth time this season the Angels have lost when leading after eight innings.

“We feel that if we get leads on a consistent basis, we’re going to hold them,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “Our issue has been the margins by which we’ve been getting leads late has been very, very tight. With deep offenses, that one-run lead in the eighth or ninth puts a lot of pressure on guys.”

Jon Rauch (5-3) pitched one inning for Toronto.

Trailing 4-3 to begin the ninth against Angels closer Jordan Walden, Colby Rasmus hit a one-out double off the wall in right and scored when rookie Brett Lawrie followed with a double to center.

“I missed with a couple of fastballs,” Walden said. “I should have kept them down. One of those days, I guess.”

For Walden, the blown save was his major league-leading eighth of the season. He’s blown six on the road, also most in the big leagues.

Bautista hit his major-league leading 34th home run and Eric Thames also connected for the Blue Jays, who had lost six of 10 coming in.

“Jordan is still going through his growing pains as a closer,” Scioscia said. “He just couldn’t close out that ninth.”

Walden’s blown save spoiled a solid effort by Haren, who allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings. He walked none and struck out five.

The Angels opened the scoring with a two-out rally in the first. Bobby Abreu singled and came home when Hunter followed with a drive to left, his 15th.

Peter Bourjos tripled in the third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Alberto Callaspo but the Blue Jays closed the gap with two runs in the fourth.

Haren had set down the first 10 batters in order before Thames homered to right. Bautista followed with a drive to center, breaking a tie with Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson. It was the seventh time this season the Blue Jays have gone back to back.

Bautista had gone 3 for 28 with 11 strikeouts since his most recent homer, Aug. 4 at Tampa Bay.

The Angels made it 4-2 in the fifth on back-to-back doubles by Bobby Wilson and Bourjos but Toronto answered in the sixth when John McDonald doubled, took third on a fly ball and scored on an RBI groundout by Thames.

McDonald reached on an infield single to begin the eighth against Downs and moved to second on Yunel Escobar’s sacrifice. Rajai Davis pinch hit for Thames and hit a grounder to short, with McDonald getting thrown out at third. Davis tore his left hamstring while running to first, and was replaced by Mark Teahen.

Blue Jays left-hander Brett Cecil allowed four runs and five hits in seven innings, the fifth time in six starts he has worked at least seven. He walked none and struck out three.

Notes

• Encarnacion extended his hitting streak to a season-high 13 games with a leadoff single in the seventh.
• Angels C Jeff Mathis, who was hit on the left hand by a pitch Saturday, did not start. X-rays were negative.
• Toronto 2B Aaron Hill sat out his second straight game but GM Alex Anthopoulos insisted Hill has not lost his starting job. Hill is stuck in a 6 for 36 slump. McDonald made his second consecutive start in place of Hill.
• econd in the Al West, the Angels return home Monday to open a four-game series against first-place Texas. The Angels play Texas seven times in their next 12 games.
• The Blue Jays signed three picks from the June draft, including third-round pick RHP John Stilson.

TORONTO — Adam Lind hit a grand slam, Edwin Encarnacion and Mark Teahen also went deep and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Angels 11-2 on Saturday.

All three homers came off Angels ace Jered Weaver, who allowed eight runs and eight hits, both season highs, in 4 2/3 innings, his shortest outing of the year.

The right-hander, who had won eight of his previous nine decisions, saw his AL-leading earned-run average rise from 1.78 to 2.13.

Weaver (14-6) was pitching for the first time since Aug. 5 after serving a six-game suspension for throwing over the head of Detroit’s Alex Avila in a July 31 loss. The Angels ace originally appealed the suspension, but decided last Saturday to serve his punishment in full.

Riding a streak of 15 consecutive quality starts, Weaver was in trouble from the get-go against Toronto, surrendering a two-run shot to Encarnacion in the first, the 10th homer of the season for the Blue Jays infielder.

Toronto added one more in the second on back-to-back doubles by Rajai Davis and John McDonald, then blew it open with a five-run fifth.

Yunel Escobar hit a one-out double before walks to Eric Thames and Encarnacion loaded the bases for Lind, who drove Weaver’s first pitch over the wall in right for his 20th homer and third career grand slam. One out later, Teahen chased Weaver with a solo drive to right, his fourth.

The slumping Lind had collected just eight hits in his previous 58 at-bats before the grand slam. He went deep for the first time since July 26 against Baltimore.

The beneficiary of Toronto’s offensive outburst was Ricky Romero, who won his fourth straight start for the second time in his career. The left-hander allowed one run and two hits in seven innings. He walked two and struck out three.

Romero (11-9), who also won four straight in his 2009 rookie season, has an ERA of 1.15 over his past four outings and has allowed just 11 hits in 31 1-3 innings in that span.

The lone Angels run against Romero came on a leadoff homer by Alberto Callaspo in the fifth.

The Blue Jays piled on with three more in the sixth against reliever Joel Pineiro. McDonald singled and went to third when shortstop Andrew Romine made a throwing error on a potential double-play grounder. Thames walked to load the bases for Encarnacion, who drove in a run with a sharp infield single to third. Lind followed with a sacrifice fly and J.P. Arencibia capped it with an RBI single to center.

Trever Miller worked a scoreless eighth and Luis Perez gave up a sacrifice fly to Mark Trumbo in the ninth.

TORONTO (AP) — Adam Lind hit a grand slam, Edwin Encarnacion and Mark Teahen also went deep and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Angels 11-2 on Saturday.

All three homers came off Angels ace Jered Weaver, who allowed eight runs and eight hits, both season highs, in 4 2-3 innings, his shortest outing of the year.

The right-hander, who had won eight of his previous nine decisions, saw his AL-leading ERA rise from 1.78 to 2.13.

Weaver (14-6) was pitching for the first time since Aug. 5 after serving a six-game suspension for throwing over the head of Detroit’s Alex Avila in a July 31 loss. The Angels ace originally appealed the suspension, but decided last Saturday to serve his punishment in full.

Riding a streak of 15 consecutive quality starts, Weaver was in trouble from the get-go against Toronto, surrendering a two-run shot to Encarnacion in the first, the 10th homer of the season for the Blue Jays infielder.

Toronto added one more in the second on back-to-back doubles by Rajai Davis and John McDonald, then blew it open with a five-run fifth.

Yunel Escobar hit a one-out double before walks to Eric Thames and Encarnacion loaded the bases for Lind, who drove Weaver’s first pitch over the wall in right for his 20th homer and third career grand slam. One out later, Teahen chased Weaver with a solo drive to right, his fourth.

The slumping Lind had collected just eight hits in his previous 58 at-bats before the grand slam. He went deep for the first time since July 26 against Baltimore.

The beneficiary of Toronto’s offensive outburst was Ricky Romero, who won his fourth straight start for the second time in his career. The left-hander allowed one run and two hits in seven innings. He walked two and struck out three.

Romero (11-9), who also won four straight in his 2009 rookie season, has an ERA of 1.15 over his past four outings and has allowed just 11 hits in 31 1-3 innings in that span.

The lone Angels run against Romero came on a leadoff homer by Alberto Callaspo in the fifth.

The Blue Jays piled on with three more in the sixth against reliever Joel Pineiro. McDonald singled and went to third when shortstop Andrew Romine made a throwing error on a potential double-play grounder. Thames walked to load the bases for Encarnacion, who drove in a run with a sharp infield single to third. Lind followed with a sacrifice fly and J.P. Arencibia capped it with an RBI single to center.

Trever Miller worked a scoreless eighth and Luis Perez gave up a sacrifice fly to Mark Trumbo in the ninth.

NOTES: Toronto OF Jose Bautista, OF Colby Rasmus and 2B Aaron Hill were all held out of the starting lineup. … OF Bobby Abreu and SS Erick Aybar did not start for the Angels. … Blue Jays LHP Brett Cecil (4-5) faces Angels RHP Dan Haren (12-6) in Sunday’s series finale.

TORONTO — The good news came quickly for Brad Mills following Saturday’s game.

The Toronto Blue Jays pitcher, starting for the first time of the year, had thrown well enough to get another start.

“He’s certainly earned an opportunity, there’s no doubt about it,” Blue Jays manager John Farrell said.

That he will not enter that start with a 2011 win to his name is not Mills’ fault. On a more fortuitous day than Saturday, Mills would have picked up a win in his first start of the season. On a less fortuitous day, the Jays would have managed all of two hits off of Derek Holland.

The Texas Rangers’ starter completely baffled the Blue Jays, ending Toronto’s modest win streak at three games with a 3-0 win on Saturday afternoon at the sun-soaked Rogers Centre.

In all, the Blue Jays managed four hits, but this is what they had to show for the first five innings: a Jose Bautista “base hit” in the first inning that Rangers first baseman Michael Young lost in the endless sky and a John McDonald bunt “base hit” in the second inning that Holland threw away. J.P. Arencibia added a legitimate infield hit in the eighth inning.

“From previous seasons, he’s improved by a large amount,” Jays first baseman Adam Lind said. “He used to just throw fastballs and have a slider. But now he’s locating fastballs on both sides of the plate and a slider and a curveball.”

“Any ball that seemed to be hit hard was deflected off of his glove,” Farrell added. Lind’s game-ending grounder is included in that group.

Frustrations boiled over in the sixth inning. Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler made a nice play to keep Yunel Escobar from an up-the-middle base hit, but Escobar maintained that Kinsler’s throw pulled Young off of first base. Escobar directed a few words and a few purposeful points at first-base umpire Marvin Hudson, and Hudson tossed the Blue Jays’ on-base machine. Two batters later, Bautista delivered Toronto’s only hit to the outfield on the afternoon, a sharp single to left field.

Newbie Blue Jay Colby Rasmus was part of the tepid output, going 0-for-4, keeping him hitless in 12 at-bats with his new team. However, it was hard to point at Rasmus much on this day, as infield pop-outs and meek ground balls were the norm for each piece of the batting order.

Mills was making his first start for the Blue Jays since Aug. 12, 2010. In Las Vegas this season, he has gone 9-7 with a 3.99 earned-run average. And when the Blue Jays decided they had seen enough of Jo-Jo Reyes, that decided that Mills, and not the bullpen-bound Jesse Litsch, would get the spot start. (Litsch made his season debut in the season on Saturday, allowing a home run to Mike Napoli but striking out three in the eighth inning.)

Mills has a seven-inning shut out of the Baltimore Orioles on his resume — his only Major League win — but his day did not start particularly well. Mitch Moreland hit a rocket of a two-run home run to right field in the second inning, his first off of a lefty in the regular season.

After that, however, he was solid. The Rangers helped out by resting Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz and Elvis Andrus, the latter two nursing minor injuries, but Mills surrendered just six hits over the course of seven innings and 117 pitches.

“I’m not going to throw 95 [miles per hour] like their guy was today. I’m a mix guy,” Mills said. “I’m going to throw four pitches for strikes. I’m just going to try to keep them off balance.”

However, when you can throw 95, you can keep the opposition even more off balance.

• Email: ekoreen@nationalpost.com | Twitter:

Jo-Jo Reyes has given up 15 runs and 18 hits in his last two starts. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)

The Toronto Blue Jays have designated left-handed pitcher Jo-Jo Reyes for assignment and called up Wilfredo Ledezma from triple-A Las Vegas.

The move Saturday comes a day after Reyes was lit up for eight runs in four innings by the Rangers as the Blue Jays lost 12-2 in Texas.

Reyes has given up 15 runs and 18 hits in his last two starts.

The 26-year-old made 20 starts for the Jays this season, posting a 5-8 record with 5.40 earned-runs average. Reyes joined Toronto last season in a trade with Atlanta that also brought shortstop Yunel Escobar to the Jays.

Ledezma has made 34 appearances in relief this season with Las Vegas. The 6-4, 225-pounder posted a 1-1 record with a 4.63 ERA.

The 30-year-old left-hander has appeared in 187 Major League games (40 starts) over eight seasons with Detroit, Atlanta, San Diego, Arizona, Washington and Pittsburgh.

Seems my report of Seattle’s demise was a tad premature. Miguel Olivo just brought his team back from the dead with the first M’s grand slam of the season to tie the game 5-5 in the eighth inning.

The rally seemed to come out of nowhere. With one out, Ichiro and Brendan Ryan both reached on infield singles and Adam Kennedy walked to end the day for Ricky Romero.

But Romero’s day turned real ugly two pitches later when reliever Casey Janssen served one up to Olivo, who drilled it over the center field wall.

Josh Bard talked last night about the M’s needing somebody to do something special. Don’t think he wanted it to come this late in a game, but Olivo’s slam certainly qualifies as a special feat.

11:14 a.m.: Chris Ray did a great pitching job in allowing just one run after coming in with the bases loaded a none out in the bottom of the seventh. Unfortunately, the apple cart was already wheeless by that point, courtesy of Doug Fister bobbling a bunt attempt in which he had a clear shot at the lead runner at third base.

There were two on and none out at the time and Fister’s gaffe loaded the bases. Yunel Escobar then singled to bring one run home, Eric Thames walked to score another and Fister was yanked. Ray gave up a sacrifice fly to Jose Bautista, then retired the side with no further damage.

But too little, too late. It’s 5-1 for the Blue Jays and the M’s are about to lose their 12th in a row.

Brandon League warming for the Mariners here on Showcase Day.

11:14 p.m.: Toronto went ahead 2-1 in the sixth after Eric Thames reached first base on a wild pitch by Doug Fister during a strikeout. Jose Bautista then doubled over the head of Chone Figgins in left.

Figgins needed to be at least a foot taller to have a shot at the ball.

Fister did a good job of getting out of the inning with Bautista at third and only one out, but his team just went 1-2-3 in the seventh on three strikeouts as I was typing this, so things aren’t looking too hot when it comes to preventing No. 12.

10:55 a.m.: Toronto came back and tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth. Doug Fister issued a leadoff walk in the inning but then got two quick outs without the runner advancing. The turning point came when he drilled J.P. Arencibia with a pitch to put two on and move the lead runner into scoring position.

Mike McCoy is the only guy to really hit a ball hard off Fister today and of course, he came up next and lined one past the bag at third for the RBI double. I thought things might come undone there with runners at second and third and the top of the order due up.

But Fister got a huge out on a Yunel Escobar grounder to end the inning.

10:44 p.m.: Seattle just took a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning after Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia could not hold on to a two-strike foul tip by Ichiro with two out. Toronto starter Ricky Romero began walking off the mound, thinking his catcher had held the ball. A sheepish Arencibia had to inform his pitcher that no, he did not squeeze it.

Ichiro promptly lined one up the middle for an RBI single. Travis Snider of Mill Creek foolishly threw home — he wasn’t going to nab the speedy Chone Figgins — instead of trying to nail Jack Wilson going from first to third. Ichiro took second on the throw, giving the M’s a great chance to break things open.

But Brendan Ryan went down swinging. Ryan is having an awful game at the plate, with a double play grounder and two key strikeouts with RISP.

Doug Fister has allowed one hit — a single that dropped in front of Ichiro — in four innings.

10:20 p.m.: Doug Fister has retired all nine batters he’s faced so far in a scoreless game now headed to the fourth. The only guy to hit a ball to the outfield was Mike McCoy, who lined out to center to end the third inning.

Otherwise, Fister has three strikeouts, two popouts and three groundouts.

10:01 p.m.: We’re through two innings already and both pitchers have faced the minimum amount of hitters. Ichiro led the game off with a single, but was erased on a double-play grounder by Brendan Ryan.

Doug Fister looks sharp, with a pair of strikeouts, a popout and a bunch of weakly-hit grounders.

9:35 p.m.: That’s a veteran lineup thrown out there today by manager Eric Wedge. For those wondering why Dustin Ackley isn’t in it, I’d say his poor throw on the back-end of that double-play last night had something to do with it. Cost the team three runs and pretty much ended a game the M’s showed signs of coming back in.

You can’t bench veterans and let rookies get away with mistakes like that. Everybody has been made to earn playing time this season and today — good start at the plate or not — Ackley is sitting.

Even if it contributes to loss No. 12 in a row.

Mariners (43-54)
——————————-
51 Ichiro Suzuki (L) RF
26 Brendan Ryan SS
4 Adam Kennedy (L) 3B
30 Miguel Olivo C
17 Justin Smoak (S) 1B
3 Josh Bard (S) DH
21 Franklin Gutierrez CF
9 Chone Figgins (S) LF
2 Jack Wilson 2B
——————————-
58 Doug Fister RHP

Blue Jays (49-49)
——————————-
5 Yunel Escobrar SS
46 Eric Thames (L) RF
19 Jose Bautista DH
26 Adam Lind (L) 1B
10 Edwin Encarnacion 3B
45 Travis Snider (L) CF
16 Corey Patterson (L) LF
9 J.P. Arencibia C
18 Mike McCoy 2B
——————————-
24 Ricky Romero LHP

Toronto Blue Jays’ Yunel Escobar, centre, argues with home plate umpire Mark Carlson, right, after Carlson mistakenly called a third strike in the third inning of MLB baseball action against the Boston Red Sox in Toronto Saturday, June 11, 2011. The Red Sox defeated the Blue Jays 16-4. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese

KANSAS CITY — Adam Lind hit a grand slam and Jayson Nix added a three-run homer to power the Toronto Blue Jays to a 9-8 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.Corey Patterson snapped an 0-for-11 skid with four hits and scored two Toronto runs.Blue Jays starter Carlos Villanueva (4-0) had one rough inning, the fourth when he allowed four runs, but pitched seven innings, allowing six hits. Villanueva has won his past eight decisions since his last loss, Aug. 17, 2009 at Pittsburgh.Nix’s home run off rookie left-hander Danny Duffy with Aaron Hill and Rajai Davis aboard put the Blue Jays up 5-4.Nate Adcock, who replaced Duffy, retired the first two batters in the sixth before walking Mike McCoy and giving up a single to Patterson. Jose Bautista, who leads the majors with 20 homers but has none in 10 games, was walked intentionally, to bring up Lind.Lind, who had a two-run homer Tuesday, hit the 1-0 pitch out to left for his second career grand slam. Lind’s first grand slam was Aug. 31, 2009 at Texas.Juan Rivera drove in the first two Blue Jays runs with singles in the first and third innings.Villanueva, who has held opponents to a .156 batting average on the road, gave up a three-run homer to Melky Cabrera in the third. Alex Gordon’s sacrifice fly drove in the first Kansas City run.Billy Butler’s three-run homer with two out in the eighth off Octavio Dotel cut the Blue Jays lead to two runs. Jeff Francoeur, who had three hits, and Eric Hosmer, who walked, scored on Butler’s fifth home run.Casey Jensen worked the ninth for his first save since 2009, but gave up a RBI-double to Gordon with two outs.Notes: SS Yunel Escobar was held out of the Blue Jays lineup with tightness in his left quad and replaced by McCoy, who was making his 13th start but his first at shortstop. Escobar left after three innings after being kneed while stealing second base in the first inning Tuesday. “He feels a little bit better today than he did yesterday, but we don’t want him out there unless we have no other choice tonight,” Blue Jays manager John Farrell said. “He’ll be reevaluated Thursday.” Toronto C J.P. Arencibia did not start after taking a foul tip Tuesday, but should be in the lineup today. LHP Bruce Chen, who is on the Royals disabled list with a strained left lat, made his first minor league rehab start Wednesday and allowed four runs on five hits in two innings in a start for Double-A Northwest Arkansas at Arkansas. He threw 29 strikes in 45 pitches.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Lind and Nix power Blue Jays past Royals

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)—Adam Lind hit a grand slam and Jayson Nix(notes) added a three-run homer to power the Toronto Blue Jays to a 9-8 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.

Corey Patterson snapped an 0-for-11 skid with four hits and scored two Toronto runs.

Blue Jays starter Carlos Villanueva (4-0) had one rough inning, the fourth when he allowed four runs, but pitched seven innings, allowing six hits. Villanueva has won his past eight decisions since his last loss, Aug. 17, 2009 at Pittsburgh.

Nix’s home run off rookie left-hander Danny Duffy with Aaron Hill and Rajai Davis aboard put the Blue Jays up 5-4.

Nate Adcock, who replaced Duffy, retired the first two batters in the sixth before walking Mike McCoy and giving up a single to Patterson. Jose Bautista, who leads the majors with 20 homers but has none in 10 games, was walked intentionally, to bring up Lind.

Lind, who had a two-run homer Tuesday, hit the 1-0 pitch out to left for his second career grand slam. Lind’s first grand slam was Aug. 31, 2009 at Texas.

Juan Rivera drove in the first two Blue Jays runs with singles in the first and third innings.

Villanueva, who has held opponents to a .156 batting average on the road, gave up a three-run homer to Melky Cabrera in the third. Alex Gordon’s sacrifice fly drove in the first Kansas City run.

Billy Butler’s three-run homer with two out in the eighth off Octavio Dotel cut the Blue Jays lead to two runs. Jeff Francoeur, who had three hits, and Eric Hosmer, who walked, scored on Butler’s fifth home run.

Casey Jensen worked the ninth for his first save since 2009, but gave up a RBI-double to Gordon with two outs.

Notes: SS Yunel Escobar was held out of the Blue Jays lineup with tightness in his left quad and replaced by McCoy, who was making his 13th start but his first at shortstop. Escobar left after three innings after being kneed while stealing second base in the first inning Tuesday. “He feels a little bit better today than he did yesterday, but we don’t want him out there unless we have no other choice tonight,” Blue Jays manager John Farrell said. “He’ll be reevaluated Thursday.” Toronto C J.P. Arencibia did not start after taking a foul tip Tuesday, but should be in the lineup Thursday. LHP Bruce Chen, who is on the Royals disabled list with a strained left lat, made his first minor league rehab start Wednesday and allowed four runs on five hits in two innings in a start for Double-A Northwest Arkansas at Arkansas. He threw 29 strikes in 45 pitches.

The Associated Press 
Jun 7, 2011 – 11:33 PM ET

Posted in: Baseball, Sports 
Tags: Adam Lind, J.P. Arencibia, Jose Bautista, Kansas City Royals, Kyle Drabek, Melky Cabrera, MLB, Toronto, Toronto Blue Jays, Yunel Escobar

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Adam Lind and J.P. Arencibia each hit a two-run homer to lead the Toronto Blue Jays to an 8-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.

Lind homered off Vin Mazzaro in a three-run first inning. Jose Bautista was aboard on a single.

Yunel Escobar scored the first Blue Jays run with the help of two Kansas City errors. Escobar singled, stole second, moved to third on catcher Matt Treanor’s throwing error and came home on center fielder Melky Cabrera’s throwing error.

Arencibia hit his 10th homer, which ranks second among big league rookies, in the eighth with Lind aboard.

Lind also drove in a run in the fifth when his sacrifice fly scored Mike McCoy to hike the Blue Jays’ advantage to 6-2. McCoy doubled home Jayson Nix with the first run of the inning.

Escobar left after three innings with a bruised left quadriceps. He was replaced by McCoy.

Blue Jays rookie right-hander Kyle Drabek (4-4), who failed to get out of the first inning in his previous start, a loss against Cleveland, labored through 5 1-3 innings to pick up the victory. He gave up five runs on nine hits, three walks and four wild pitches.

Rookie left-hander Luis Perez replaced Drabek and threw 2 2-3 scoreless innings, extending his shutout streak to 10 innings. Jon Rauch worked the ninth for his seventh save in nine chances.

Jeff Francoeur drove in the first three Kansas City runs with two singles and a sacrifice fly. Rookie first baseman Eric Hosmer had two singles, extending his hitting streak to a career-high nine games, walked and scored two runs. Cabrera also had two hits and drove in a run.

Mazzaro (0-1), just recalled from Triple-A Omaha, was making his first big league appearance since giving up 14 runs on 11 hits and three walks in 2 1-3 innings against the Indians on May 16. The last pitcher to give up at least 14 runs in less than three innings was Ed Doheny of the New York Giants on June 29, 1899.

NOTES: Royals RHP Kyle Davies (shoulder inflammation) and LHP Bruce Chen (strained left lat) are scheduled to begin minor league rehab assignments Wednesday with Double-A Northwest Arkansas. They are both scheduled to start in a doubleheader against Arkansas. … RHP Carlos Villanueva, who starts Wednesday for the Blue Jays, is 2-0 with a 1.66 ERA and is holding opponents to a .127 batting average in eight road games.

Mike Aviles steals second base as Toronto shortstop Yunel Escobar corrals the ball. (G. Newman Lowrance/Getty Images)

Eric Hosmer hit a game-ending single in the 11th inning Monday night, helping the Kansas City Royals beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 to snap a four-game losing streak.

Hosmer had a hand in all three of Kansas City’s runs with two RBIs and scored a run.

Chris Getz led off the Royals 11th with a bunt single off Frank Francisco (1-3) and stopped at second on Brayan Pena’s groundball single to left. Alcides Escobar moved the runners up with a sacrifice bunt. Alex Gordon was walked intentionally to load the bases with one out. After Melky Cabrera lined out to third, Hosmer delivered the game-winning hit.

Joakim Soria (4-3), who was removed from the closer’s role May 30 after blowing three saves in a week, picked up the victory. He did not allow a hit in two innings.

Francisco, the seventh Toronto pitcher, gave up a run on three hits and a walk.

Felipe Paulino, who was making his second start for Royals and third appearance since being acquired May 26 from Colorado, held the Blue Jays hitless until Jayson Nix singled to leadoff the sixth.

The Jays got an unearned run in the fourth when Yunel Escobar reached first on Mike Aviles’ throwing error to leadoff the inning. He advanced to second on a wild pitch, took third on a groundout and scored on Jose Bautista’s grounder.

The Royals answered with an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth when Hosmer was safe at first on Escobar’s throwing error to start the inning. He scored on Aviles’ two-out triple, the first hit Brandon Morrow allowed.

Paulino exited in the seventh when he gave up a run on two hits and a groundout. Rivera and J.P. Arencibia led off the innings with singles. Aaron Hill’s fielder’s choice ground out scored Rivera.

In his three game with Kansas City, Paulino has a 0.00 ERA, allowing one unearned run on eight hits in 20 1-3 innings.

The Royals tied it in the bottom of the seventh when Mark Rzepczynski walked three, including Hosmer with the bases loaded. He threw only one strike in 13 pitches before being replaced by Octavio Dotel.

Morrow held the Royals to one unearned run and two hits over six innings, while striking out five and walking three.

BALTIMORE — It didn’t take long for Adam Lind to find his swing for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Playing in his second game since returning from a lengthy stay on the disabled list, Lind went 4 for 4 with two homers and three RBIs to carry Toronto past the Baltimore Orioles 7-4 on Sunday.

Lind missed nearly a month with a sore back before being activated from the DL on Friday night. After going hitless on Saturday, he singled twice and hit solo homers in the fifth and seventh innings Sunday.

“When you look at today’s game, it looks like he hasn’t even missed any time,” Toronto manager John Farrell said. “What a beautiful swing. … He was on every pitch today.”

It was Lind’s second multi-homer game of the season and the sixth of his career. Eight of his nine home runs have come in his last 13 games.

“I felt good today. I didn’t miss my pitches,” Lind said. “It was just nice to feel good all game.”

Yunel Escobar also homered and Edwin Encarnacion had three hits for the Blue Jays, who took two of three from the last-place Orioles.

Baltimore has lost seven of nine since reaching the .500 mark on May 26. Mark Reynolds hit his second homer in two games and Robert Andino had two of the Orioles’ six hits.

Jo-Jo Reyes (2-4) allowed three runs and five hits in 6 1-3 innings to earn his second straight victory after going 28 consecutive starts without a win. The left-hander walked four and struck out three.

“Another solid day for Jo-Jo,” Farrell said.

After going through a long stretch of futility, Reyes hopes to start a winning streak of similar duration.

“Hopefully 28 starts,” he said with a laugh. “It felt good today, and as long as I keep up the quality starts I know it’s going to come.”

Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie (2-8) yielded six runs and nine hits in five innings. The right-hander gave up at least one hit in every inning, and the two homers he allowed were twice the total of his previous three starts.

“It was just one of those days when you don’t feel like you have it all together,” Guthrie said. “I had no command down. I could throw strikes, but they were typically up.”

Guthrie retired the first two batters before Jose Bautista walked, hustled to third on a single by Lind and scored on a single by Aaron Hill.

“My warmup pitches went well, as well as my pre-game routine,” Guthrie said. “I had it for four pitches; two outs on four pitches. The next 85 didn’t go as successfully as those first few.”

Baltimore used an RBI double by Vladimir Guerrero and a run-scoring groundout by Derrek Lee to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom half.

In the third inning, Corey Patterson singled and Bautista walked before Lind tied it with an RBI single.

Escobar made it 5-2 in the fourth with his seventh home run, a drive to left with two on and two outs. He hit four homers last season.

NOTES: Baltimore was outscored 27-9 in the first inning before Sunday. … Bautista has reached base via hit, walk or HBP in 48 of 51 games this season. … Toronto is 17-4 against Baltimore since the start of the 2010 season. … Guthrie fell to 2-7 against the Blue Jays. … Orioles LF Luke Scott was unavailable after getting an injection in his ailing right shoulder. Manager Buck Showalter said Scott should be able to play Monday against Oakland.

BALTIMORE – It didn’t take long for Adam Lind to find his swing for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Playing in his second game since returning from a lengthy stay on the disabled list, Lind went 4 for 4 with two homers and three RBIs to carry Toronto past the Baltimore Orioles 7-4 on Sunday.

Lind missed nearly a month with a sore back before being activated from the DL on Friday night. After going hitless on Saturday, he singled twice and hit solo homers in the fifth and seventh innings Sunday.

“When you look at today’s game, it looks like he hasn’t even missed any time,” Toronto manager John Farrell said. “What a beautiful swing. … He was on every pitch today.”

It was Lind’s second multi-homer game of the season and the sixth of his career. Eight of his nine home runs have come in his last 13 games.

“I felt good today. I didn’t miss my pitches,” Lind said. “It was just nice to feel good all game.”

Yunel Escobar also homered and Edwin Encarnacion had three hits for the Blue Jays, who took two of three from the last-place Orioles.

Baltimore has lost seven of nine since reaching the .500 mark on May 26. Mark Reynolds hit his second homer in two games and Robert Andino had two of the Orioles’ six hits.

Jo-Jo Reyes (2-4) allowed three runs and five hits in 6 1-3 innings to earn his second straight victory after going 28 consecutive starts without a win. The left-hander walked four and struck out three.

“Another solid day for Jo-Jo,” Farrell said.

After going through a long stretch of futility, Reyes hopes to start a winning streak of similar duration.

“Hopefully 28 starts,” he said with a laugh. “It felt good today, and as long as I keep up the quality starts I know it’s going to come.”

Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie (2-8) yielded six runs and nine hits in five innings. The right-hander gave up at least one hit in every inning, and the two homers he allowed were twice the total of his previous three starts.

“It was just one of those days when you don’t feel like you have it all together,” Guthrie said. “I had no command down. I could throw strikes, but they were typically up.”

Guthrie retired the first two batters before Jose Bautista walked, hustled to third on a single by Lind and scored on a single by Aaron Hill.

“My warmup pitches went well, as well as my pre-game routine,” Guthrie said. “I had it for four pitches; two outs on four pitches. The next 85 didn’t go as successfully as those first few.”

Baltimore used an RBI double by Vladimir Guerrero and a run-scoring groundout by Derrek Lee to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom half.

In the third inning, Corey Patterson singled and Bautista walked before Lind tied it with an RBI single.

Escobar made it 5-2 in the fourth with his seventh home run, a drive to left with two on and two outs. He hit four homers last season.

NOTES: Baltimore was outscored 27-9 in the first inning before Sunday. … Bautista has reached base via hit, walk or HBP in 48 of 51 games this season. … Toronto is 17-4 against Baltimore since the start of the 2010 season. … Guthrie fell to 2-7 against the Blue Jays. … Orioles LF Luke Scott was unavailable after getting an injection in his ailing right shoulder. Manager Buck Showalter said Scott should be able to play Monday against Oakland.

BALTIMORE – Adam Lind went 4 for 4 with two homers and three RBIs to back another winning effort by left-hander Jo-Jo Reyes, and the Toronto Blue Jays roughed up Jeremy Guthrie in a 7-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.

Yunel Escobar also homered and Edwin Encarnacion had three hits for the Blue Jays, who took two of three from the last-place Orioles.

Baltimore has lost seven of nine since reaching the .500 mark on May 26. Mark Reynolds hit his second homer in two games and Robert Andino had two of the Orioles’ six hits.

Reyes (2-4) allowed three runs and five hits in 6 1-3 innings to earn his second straight victory after going 28 consecutive starts without a win. He walked four and struck out three.

Guthrie (2-8) yielded six runs and nine hits in five innings. The right-hander gave up at least one hit in every inning, and the two homers he allowed were twice the total he permitted in his previous three starts.

Escobar put Toronto ahead 5-2 in the fourth inning with his seventh home run, a drive to left with two on and two outs. He hit four homers last season.

Playing in his second game since returning from a lengthy stay on the disabled list with a sore back, Lind hit a solo shot in the fifth off Guthrie and another in the seventh against Alfredo Simon. It was his second multihomer game of the season and the sixth of his career.

Eight of Lind’s nine home runs have come in his last 13 games.

Guthrie retired the first two batters before Jose Bautista walked, hustled to third on a single by Lind and scored on a single by Aaron Hill.

Baltimore used an RBI double by Vladimir Guerrero and a run-scoring groundout by Derrek Lee to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom half.

In the third inning, Corey Patterson singled and Bautista walked before Lind tied it with an RBI single.

NOTES: Baltimore was outscored 27-9 in the first inning before Sunday. … Bautista has reached base via hit, walk or HBP in 48 of 51 games this season. … Toronto is 17-4 against Baltimore since the start of the 2010 season. … Guthrie fell to 2-7 against the Blue Jays.