Grichuk hits 2 HRs, Blue Jays end O’s 4-game win streak, 5-3
TORONTO (AP) — Randal Grichuk hit a pair of solo home runs, Matt Shoemaker pitched seven shutout innings and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-3 on Wednesday, avoiding a three-game sweep.
Grichuk, who signed a five-year, $52 million contract Tuesday, connected off Jimmy Yacabonis in the third and went deep again off Matt Wotherspoon in the eighth. He has three home runs this season and six career multihomer games.
Grichuk also doubled and scored in the first. He started in center field in place of Kevin Pillar, who was traded to San Francisco on Tuesday.
Shoemaker (2-0) allowed two hits, walked one and struck out eight. He also pitched seven scoreless innings against Detroit last Friday.
The Orioles, who had won four in row, rallied in the ninth on Trey Mancini’s third homer. His three-run shot came off Daniel Hudson and was his third of the year.
Ken Giles got two outs for his second save in as many chances.
Right-hander Nate Karns (0-1) opened for Baltimore. He allowed three hits and one unearned run in two innings.
Grichuk scored in the first when third baseman Rio Ruiz made an errant throw to first on Teoscar Hernandez’s infield single. Toronto’s two hits in the first were one more than they’d picked up over 55 at-bats through the first three innings of their previous six games this season.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had a two-run double off Wotherspoon in the eighth.
The finale of a sparsely attended series drew 11,436. A total of 34,006 people came to the three games.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: RHP Alex Cobb (right groin) will be activated off the 10-day injured list to start Thursday’s home opener against the Yankees. … RHP Pedro Araujo was designated for assignment and Wotherspoon was selected from Triple-A Norfolk. He made his major league debut in the seventh.
UP NEXT
Orioles: Cobb was 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in three starts against the Yankees last season.
Blue Jays: RHP Aaron Sanchez (1-0) starts the opener of the four-game series in Cleveland. Sanchez is 1-0 with a 5.06 ERA in three career starts against the Indians.
