Jays Swept By Orioles For The First Time Since 1994
Posted April 22, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Toronto Blue Jays have seen better days and they certainly weren’t expecting things to be this rocky, this soon.
Toronto dropped its fifth-straight contest Sunday in a 7-3 loss to Baltimore, getting swept by the Orioles for the first time in 13 years.
Nick Markakis and Miguel Tejada each had three RBIs, while Steve Trachsel (1-1) allowed one run in 5 1-3 innings to earn his first victory with the Orioles, who won their fourth straight.
Jay Payton added three hits and scored twice for this year’s early surprise in the American League East, while Aaron Hill was the lone spark for Toronto , outscored 17-9 over the three-game set.
Alex Rios hit a two-run single in the ninth off Orioles rookie Brian Burres to make the scoreboard look slightly more respectable, but Toronto ‘s offence continues to be mired in an awful slump.
The pitching hasn’t been quite so shaky, but after starter Gustavo Chacin (2-1) threw three perfect innings to start the contest, Baltimore broke things open in the fourth when Payton led off with a single, Melvin Mora walked and Markakis hit a triple off the top of the wall in centre. Tejada followed with an RBI single.
A four-run fifth followed when Payton hit a one-out single and Mora walked before Markakis doubled in a run. Tejada then greeted Jays reliever Victor Zambrano with a two-run single, and Corey Patterson added an RBI on another base hit.
Chacin was the last Toronto pitcher to earn a victory, but on Sunday the Venezuelan lefty allowed six runs in 4 1-3 innings and his ERA swelled from 3.57 to 5.32.
The Blue Jays play four more on the road before returning to the Rogers Centre, and Monday they play the first of two in Boston .
Tomo Ohka (0-2) will take on Tim Wakefield (2-1).
