Davis leads Jays over Baltimore

O's road to the playoffs hits a Toronto pothole

At some point, the good luck has to run out.

Rajai Davis proved to be the crack in the sidewalk the Baltimore Orioles were hoping to avoid as they continued their race for the pennant.

Davis homered and drove in three to lead Toronto to a 6-4 victory at Rogers Centre on Wednesday night. The Blue Jays snapped a four-game losing streak, and kept the Orioles out of sole possession of first place in the AL East.

Jays’ starter Brandon Morrow gave up two runs over six innings, striking out six in his third start since his return from an oblique strain that kept him out of the rotation for two months.

Since returning from the DL on Aug. 25, Morrow has allowed just five runs over his three starts, and took a no-decision in tonight’s contest.

Toronto (61-75) was shut out in the first two games of the series against the surging Orioles (76-60), who have the most road wins in the AL (39). Baltimore hasn’t been so fortunate at Rogers Centre, with a 9-34 record at the domed stadium dating back to June 8, 2008.

Kelly Johnson ended the Blue Jays scoring drought and put the Blue Jays on the board for the first time in 19 innings with an RBI double in the second off of O’s rookie starter Miguel Gonzalez.

Gonzalez struck out five while allowing five of the six Toronto runs on seven hits.

Morrow’s only challenge came in the form of a rough second inning.

Adam Jones led off with his 27th home run, a two-run shot to left centre to give the Orioles an early 2-0 lead. Morrow walked three of the next four batters, but managed to get out of the frame without further damage.

Davis answered back in the third with a solo drive to left, tying the game at two for both squads. For the next four innings, the starters battled in nearly identical games ending after 92 pitches.

Gonzalez was replaced with reliever Luis Ayala after Adeiny Hechavarria’s safety squeeze in the seventh ended up as an RBI bunt single to bring in Yunel Escobar.

The single gave the Jays the lead, and left two runners on. Ayala allowed a one-out infield single to Anthony Gose to load the bases for Davis.

The left fielder’s ground ball to centre cleared the bases, as a throwing error to third allowed Gose to reach home, and Davis to end up on third.

Closer Casey Janssen issued a four-pitch lead-off walk to Jones in the ninth, and two batters later, Mark Reynolds drove him in with a two-out homer to close the gap.

Janssen ensured the final out with a strikeout of Omar Quintanilla, letting the Orioles know the luck had run out.

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By: Steph Rogers
Posted: Sep 5 2012 11:30 pm
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