Greinke and 4 relievers lead Diamondbacks past Blue Jays 6-0

TORONTO (AP) — Zack Greinke and four relievers combined on a five-hitter, Alex Avila and Kevin Cron hit solo home runs and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-0 on Saturday.

Nick Ahmed drove in two runs as the Diamondbacks won their third straight.

Greinke (7-2) allowed four hits in six innings to win for the first time in four starts. He was 0-1 in three games since a May 15 victory over Pittsburgh.

Toronto was blanked for the fifth time this season. The Blue Jays didn’t put a runner in scoring position until the fifth, when Teoscar Hernández hit a two-out single and Brandon Drury walked. Greinke struck out Luke Maile to end the threat.

The Blue Jays have scored two runs or fewer five times in their past seven games. They’ve scored two or fewer runs 26 times this season, second only to Miami (29).

Toronto went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position and left seven men stranded.

Greinke left after Lourdes Gurriel Jr. tripled to begin the seventh. Andrew Chafin came on and struck out Rowdy Tellez. Yoshihisa Hirano fanned Hernández and Brandon Drury to keep Toronto scoreless.

Matt Andriese pitched the eighth and Zack Godley finished.

Blue Jays right-hander Aaron Sanchez (3-7) allowed five runs and six hits in six innings. He’s 0-6 with a 5.71 ERA in eight starts since his most recent win, April 27 against Oakland.

Ahmed opened the scoring with an RBI single in the third, and the Diamondbacks pulled away with a three-run fourth, when the first four batters reached safely. Jarrod Dyson, Tim Locastro and Ketel Marte all singled, with Marte’s hit bringing home a run, before David Peralta lined an RBI double to right. Two batters later, Ahmed capped the rally with a sacrifice fly.

Avila made it 5-0 with a two-out homer in the sixth, his third.

Cron connected for the second straight game with a leadoff blast off Sam Gaviglio in the ninth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Diamondbacks: OF Adam Jones (right hamstring) was held out of the starting lineup for a third straight game. Jones left Tuesday’s game in the fourth inning.

Blue Jays: SS Freddy Galvis (left hamstring) was held out of the starting lineup. Drury made his fourth career start at shortstop.

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks: LHP Robbie Ray (4-3, 3.62) has lost two straight starts. He’s 2-1 with a 2.63 ERA in his past five road outings.

Blue Jays: LHP Clayton Richard (0-1, 3.55) went 0-1 with a 6.60 ERA in three starts against Arizona while pitching for San Diego last season.