Blue Jays 5, Athletics 3
Travis Snider’s three-run homer in the fourth inning proved to be the difference as the Toronto Blue Jays topped the visiting Oakland Athletics 5-3 on Wednesday.
Adam Lind added an RBI double and Jesse Litsch (1-0) pitched 6 1/3 solid innings for the Blue Jays, who took the series opener Tuesday on Yunel Escobar’s walk-off blast in the 10th inning.
Toronto would not need those kind of heroics Wednesday as Snider supplied the drama a little earlier. After Juan Rivera drew a walk and Edwin Encarnacion reached on an infield single, Snider came up with one out and drove Dallas Braden’s 2-1 offering over the wall in right to give the Blue Jays a 4-2 lead.
Braden (0-1) allowed five runs on 10 hits in seven innings.
Daric Barton pulled the A’s back within 4-3 with an RBI single in the fifth, but the Toronto staff allowed no further damage.
Litsch allowed six hits, walked two and struck out seven.
Aaron Hill knocked in an insurance run in the eighth, and Mark Rzepczynski struck out three in two perfect innings before handing it over to Jon Rauch for the two-out save, his first of the season.