Adley Rutschman went 4-for-4 with a homer, two doubles and five RBIs as the visiting Baltimore Orioles trounced the Toronto Blue Jays 13-3 on Friday.
Coby Mayo added a two-run homer to cap the Orioles’ five-run sixth inning in the opener of a three-game series. Baltimore won for the fifth time in six games.
Brandon Valenzuela hit a two-run homer for the Blue Jays, who have lost five of their past six.
Trey Yesavage (2-3) allowed a regular-season home run for the first time in his two-year career when Rutschman hit a 2-2 fastball to center for a solo shot with two outs in the first inning.
Toronto responded in the bottom of the inning with a run against Brandon Young (4-1). George Springer led off with a double to right center, took third on a groundout and trotted home on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s sacrifice fly to center.
Toronto center fielder Daulton Varsho left for pinch hitter Yohendrick Pinango in the fourth inning due to left wrist discomfort that was noticeable during his first-inning at-bat.
Toronto took a 3-1 lead in the fifth. Kazuma Okamoto led off with a single and Valenzuela homered to right center on a 2-2 slider.
The Orioles took a 6-3 lead in the sixth. Jackson Holliday led off with a double to left-center, and Gunnar Henderson walked with one out. Rutschman drove a two-run double to center. Pinch hitter Jeremiah Jackson grounded a two-out RBI single to center, and Mayo homered to left on an 0-1 slider.
Adam Macko then replaced Yesavage, who allowed six runs, five hits and two walks while striking out five in 5 2/3 innings.
Baltimore designated hitter Samuel Basallo left the game for Jackson with right abdominal discomfort.
Young permitted three runs, seven hits and no walks in 6 1/3 innings. He fanned four.
Toronto’s Connor Seabold allowed soft singles to Rutschman and Pete Alonso to open the eighth, and Jackson lined an RBI single to center. Colton Cowser stroked a one-out RBI single, and another run scored on Leody Taveras’ groundout to the pitcher.
Rutschman added a two-run double against Yariel Rodriguez in the ninth. Two runs scored on Okamoto’s throwing error on Taveras’ grounder to third. Backup catcher Tyler Heineman took over on the mound to get the final out.
