TORONTO 5
BALTIMORE 1
TORONTO 鈥� David Price got to 100 career wins by respecting every lineup he faced.
Price allowed one run in seven innings for his 100th career victory as the Blue Jays topped the Orioles 5-1 on Saturday. The victory ended Toronto鈥檚 three-game skid against Baltimore and Price earned his first win over the Orioles since Sept. 20, 2013.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 look at any opponent to be any different,鈥� said Price. 鈥淚鈥檓 probably a little bit more familiar with their lineup facing those guys as many times as I have in my career. Their team, for the most part, has kind of stayed the same so it鈥檚 a club that always swings the bat well against me.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a while since I鈥檝e beaten them so that was good.鈥�
The Blue Jays (77-58) improved to 8-6 this season against the Orioles while Baltimore (65-70) dropped to 3-13 in its last 16 games.
Toronto鈥檚 win coupled with the New York Yankees鈥� loss to Tampa Bay, gave the Blue Jays a game and a half lead for first place in the American League East.
Price (14-5) gave up an RBI single to Caleb Joseph in the seventh. The lefty finished the game by allowing three hits while striking out eight for his fifth win as a member of the Jays. It was Price鈥檚 fourth home start since being acquired from the Detroit Tigers in July.
鈥淗e was great. At the end of the day, that鈥檚 why he鈥檚 here,鈥� said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons. 鈥淎gainst a tough-hitting lineup 鈥� he faced most of those guys in that lineup so many times 鈥� makes it (even tougher) facing guys like that and to shut them down. It鈥檚 pretty impressive.鈥�
Orioles right-hander Mike Wright (2-4) went four innings allowing three earned runs on seven hits and striking out four. Wright lasted just 1 1/3 innings in his last start against the Blue Jays in June.
鈥淚 got the loss, so I didn鈥檛 pitch very well, but I felt good. They鈥檙e just a really good hitting team,鈥� said Wright. 鈥淚 had zero confidence going into that game (last time vs Toronto). I have no idea why. I wasn鈥檛 attacking and I tried to attack a lot more today than I did last time.
鈥淵ou have no chance to get an out if you don鈥檛 throw strikes. I felt like attacked the zone pretty well today. That鈥檚 a positive.鈥�
Jose Bautista got Toronto on the board in the first with his 32nd home run of the season. The Blue Jays right-fielder added to the lead in the third with a ground rule double that scored Kevin Pillar.
Toronto took a 3-0 lead in the fourth on Ben Revere鈥檚 RBI single.
The Jays added to their lead in the fifth with Justin Garcia on in relief. Troy Tulowitzki scored on an RBI ground out by Russell Martin. Ryan Goins then hit a ground rule double to left centre that scored Justin Smoak giving Toronto a 5-0 lead.
Bautista showed off his defensive game in the ninth inning by tracking a pop fly from Steve Pearce in shallow centre and making a diving grab.
Notes: The Blue Jays will send RHP Marco Estrada (11-8, 3.16 ERA) to the mound in Sunday鈥檚 series finale against the Orioles. LHP Mark Buehrle, who was supposed to start on Sunday, will now get the ball in Monday鈥檚 series opener in Boston. The Orioles will counter with RHP Chris Tilman (9-10, 4.87 ERA).
