BALTIMORE — The Toronto Blue Jays smacked the ball around the ballpark against an array of Baltimore pitchers and Mark Buehrle mowed down the Orioles with very little difficulty.
Although Toronto really didn’t need any help from the bumbling Baltimore defence, three throwing errors by the usually sure-handed Orioles contributed heavily to the Blue Jays’ 10-2 victory Tuesday night.
Edwin Encarnacion tied the game with a solo shot in the sixth inning and capped a four-run seventh with a drive off Tommy Hunter. It was his 19th career two-homer game and second this season — both against Baltimore.
Josh Donaldson also homered and Ryan Goins had three hits for the Blue Jays, who scored the game’s final 10 runs.
That flurry included four unearned runs in the eighth inning, courtesy of errors by first baseman Chris Davis and shortstop J.J. Hardy.
"I’ve been very privileged to watch a lot of really good defensive games played here the last few years," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "Obviously, tonight wasn’t one of them."
Toronto was only too happy to accept the gift of poor fielding.
"I love it," Donaldson said. "It’s one of those things, in the major leagues in general when you start giving extra outs to the other team it’s going to come back and bite you. When we’re on the side of it helping us a little bit we’ll take it every time. I’m not going to feel sorry for them."
Buehrle (5-2) gave up two runs in beating the Orioles for the third time this season. The left-hander is 3-0 with a 3.50 ERA against Baltimore and 2-2 with a 9.00 ERA against everyone else.
"I’ve gotten a lot of run support against these guys, especially the first two games," Buehrle said. "This game was a close game all the way through until the last couple of innings."
Jimmy Paredes drove in two runs and Manny Machado had three hits for the last-place Orioles, who have lost six of eight.
It was the Orioles’ second straight home game following a two-week stretch in which they did not play before their fans because of rioting in the city. After wearing jerseys with "Baltimore" scripted across the front Monday, the team returned to its customary "Orioles" home jerseys, and the crowd of 17,319 kept the focus on baseball.
Last-place Baltimore did not play well in any facet of the game. The offence managed only two hits after the third inning, the defence was shoddy and four pitchers yielded 13 hits.
"They’re swinging the bat. We’re not," Machado said. "They’re hitting in key situations, and we’re just making too many errors. Plain and simple, we’re making too many errors. Dumb mistakes that we shouldn’t be doing. It’s not like us."
Chris Tillman (2-5) gave up five runs and nine hits over 6 2-3 innings and hit two batters. The right-hander has lost four straight starts and is 0-3 against Toronto this year.
In the seventh, a throwing error and a single by Donaldson made it 3-2. Jose Bautista doubled and Donaldson scored on a passed ball before Encarnacion hit his seventh home run of the season.
OPPOSITE DAY
Blue Jays: Encarnacion’s homers were both to the opposite field, a rarity for the free-swinging slugger. "I can’t remember the last time I saw him do that," manager John Gibbons said. "That just shows you he’s staying on the baseball."
Orioles: Baltimore had three Gold Glove winners last year, including Hardy. On Tuesday, the Orioles committed three errors in a game for the second time this season.
TRAINERS ROOM
Blue Jays: Bautista (shoulder) still hasn’t played in the field since April 21, but he has been valuable as a DH. "He’s one of the centerpieces of our lineup," Gibbons said.
Orioles: C Matt Wieters (elbow) caught nine innings in extending spring training Tuesday, and remains on course to be activated off the 60-day DL on June 4. … RHP Kevin Gausman (shoulder inflammation) said an MRI was clean, and he hopes to start throwing on flat ground this week.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: Aaron Sanchez (3-2, 3.62 ERA) gets his third start of the season against the Orioles in the series finale Wednesday night.
Orioles: Miguel Gonzalez (3-2, 3.57 ERA) is 6-2 lifetime against the Jays, the only AL East team he hasn’t faced this season.
