Tuesday, August 28, 2018 07:05 PM (ET)

Early homers power Orioles past Blue Jays

Field Level Media
Aug 28, 2018

Tim Beckham hit a three-run homer and Craig Gentry added a two-run shot as the Baltimore Orioles defeated the visiting Toronto Blue Jays 12-5 on a warm Tuesday night at Camden Yards.

Beckham's homer was the big blow in a four-run third inning that gave the Orioles an early 5-0 lead.

Beckham, Gentry and Chris Davis all finished with three RBIs for Baltimore. Adam Jones went 4-for-5 with an RBI and two runs on a night when the game-time temperature was 92 degrees and the humidity made it feel like almost 100.

The Orioles go for a sweep of the three-game series Wednesday after their back-to-back wins followed an eight-game losing streak.

Baltimore won consecutive games for the first time since July 28 and 29. Rookie left-handed starter Josh Rogers (1-0) earned the victory in his major league debut, giving up three runs on seven hits in five innings. It was the first time the Orioles started a left-hander this season.

Toronto starter Thomas Pannone (1-1) had allowed one hit in seven shutout innings in his last start on Aug. 22, also versus the Orioles, but Baltimore fared better this time. The Orioles touched up the left-hander for seven runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings, and he took his first major league loss.

The Orioles took an early 1-0 lead on a Davis RBI single in the first.

Baltimore took command in the third inning. Jones made it 2-0 with an RBI single before Beckham followed two batters later with his three-run blast to left-center.

Toronto got one back in the fourth on a Kevin Pillar RBI single before Gentry hit his two-run homer in the bottom of the inning, his first home run of the season.

Rogers struggled in the top of the fifth and eventually gave up Justin Smoak's two-run homer that cut the Baltimore lead to 7-3. However, the rookie made it through five innings and qualified for the victory.

Jonathan Villar and Gentry added RBI singles in the bottom of the fifth to give the Orioles a 9-3 edge.

Randal Grichuk hit a solo homer for Toronto in the seventh, but Trey Mancini added a sacrifice fly an inning later that gave the Orioles a 10-4 lead. Davis then made it 12-4 with a two-run double later in the inning.

Grichuk also had an RBI single in the ninth.

--Field Level Media

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