Ryan Mountcastle hit a two-run home run and the visiting Baltimore Orioles defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 7-3 Monday night.
Ryan McKenna had three hits and an RBI for Baltimore in the opener of a three-game series. The Orioles have five wins in their first seven games against the Blue Jays this season, including three consecutive head-to-head victories over the past eight days.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a solo homer for the Blue Jays, who have lost five of their past six overall.
Toronto left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (4-7) allowed six runs (three earned) on four hits and three walks with three strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings.
Baltimore right-hander Kyle Bradish allowed three runs, six hits and four walks in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out five.
McKenna blooped a double that eluded first baseman Guerrero to open the first and scored on Anthony Santander’s one-out single.
Santander walked with two outs in the third and Mountcastle followed by sending his 16th homer of the season into the second deck in left.
Danny Jansen led off the bottom of the third with a walk. George Springer doubled and Guerrero walked to load the bases. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a two-run single before Bradish escaped the inning with a strikeout and a double-play grounder.
In the fourth, Baltimore’s Jorge Mateo reached first base with one out on a throwing error by shortstop Bo Bichette. Terrin Vavra walked, and Mateo reached third on Kikuchi’s errant pickoff throw. Mateo beat Bichette’s throw home on Tyler Nevin’s grounder.
McKenna added an RBI double. Trevor Richards replaced Kikuchi and gave up Adley Rutschman’s sacrifice fly.
Mountcastle walked, Ramon Urias singled and Mateo walked with one out to load the bases in the fifth. Vavra hit a sacrifice fly.
Gurriel belted his 24th homer of the season with one out in the bottom of the fifth. Bradish allowed two singles in the inning before Bryan Baker (4-3) replaced him with two outs.
Baker wound up throwing 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win.
Before the game, Toronto reinstated Springer from the injured list after he was out the minimum 10 days due to right elbow inflammation. Outfielder Bradley Zimmer was designated for assignment.
–Field Level Media