Tillman keeps rolling as Orioles outslug Blue Jays
BALTIMORE --- Chris Tillman picked up his ninth consecutive win and Matt Wieters belted a homer among his career high-tying four hits as the host Baltimore Orioles cruised past the Toronto Blue Jays 11-6 on Sunday.
After losing the opener 13-3, the Orioles won the next two contests to take the key series against their American League East rivals, who lost for just the third time in 10 games. Baltimore had a season-high 19 hits.
Tillman (10-1) historically has struggled against the Blue Jays, going 4-10 with a 5.65 ERA in his previous 21 starts against them. This time, Tillman got out of a couple of jams and allowed four runs on five hits with four strikeouts over five innings.
Chris Davis and Hyun Soo Kim each had three hits for Baltimore. Wieters finished with four RBIs while Jonathan Schoop homered and had three hits for the second straight day.
The Orioles took control with three runs in the fourth inning for a 7-4 lead. Wieters led off with a double and scored on a single by Schoop. Ryan Flaherty and Adam Jones hit consecutive two-out RBI doubles that ended Toronto right-hander Marcus Stroman's day.
Stroman (6-3) was charged with a season high-tying seven runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts over just 3 2/3 innings. Wieters delivered another RBI single in the fifth off Joe Biagini to boost the lead to 8-4.
Devon Travis had three hits and homered for the Blue Jays. He also had an RBI double off Odrisamer Despaigne in the eighth to pull Toronto within three runs at 8-5. An error by Orioles' shortstop J.J. Hardy allowed the Blue Jays' sixth run.
However, Baltimore pulled away in the seventh on an RBI single by Wieters and a two-run, 458-foot shot by Schoop off that extended the lead to 11-6.
The Orioles, who improved to a major league-best 26-12 at home, jumped on Stroman in the first and took a 3-0 lead on an RBI single by Davis followed by a two-run homer by Wieters.
The Blue Jays responded in second when Troy Tulowitzki and Travis each hit two-run homers.
Home plate umpire Dale Scott had to leave the game in the bottom half of the inning after he was hit in the groin with a foul ball by Flaherty. First base umpire Bob Davidson eventually moved behind the plate, and after the delay, Flaherty tied the game 4-4 with an RBI single.
NOTES: Baltimore 3B Manny Machado was out of the lineup, serving the first of a four-game suspension for charging the mound and punching Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura on June 7. It snapped Machado's major-league-leading active consecutive games streak at 229. ... Toronto RHP Marco Estrada (5-2, 2.58 ERA) will look to keep his stellar season going when he takes the mound in the series opener Tuesday against the Padres. Estrada has an American League-leading 0.98 WHIP. ... Orioles RHP Kevin Gausman (0-4, 4.14 ERA) will get the start Monday in Texas. The game is a makeup game from an April 17 postponement because of rain, creating a rare, one-game road trip for Baltimore. The Orioles are leaving three starting pitchers and several staff members behind.