Jordan Westburg hit two home runs while going 4-for-5 and the visiting Baltimore Orioles defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 9-5 on Saturday afternoon.
Colton Cowser added a solo shot, and Ramon Urias had a three-run double among his three hits to help Baltimore take a 2-1 lead in the four-game series.
Andres Gimenez hit a two-run homer and Bo Bichette was 4-for-4 with a walk for Toronto.
Cowser hit Toronto starter Max Scherzer’s second pitch of the game, a fastball. for a homer to center.
Westburg added a mammoth homer to center on a hanging slider in the first.
Toronto tied the game in the first against Dean Kremer (1-0) with successive singles by Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Anthony Santander along with Alejandro Kirk’s sacrifice fly. The sacrifice fly was set up because Cowser threw to second on Gimenez’s flyout to the left-field corner that allowed Guerrero to advance to third.
Toronto took a 4-2 lead when Bichette led off with a walk and Gimenez homered to center on a fastball that was above the strike zone.
Scherzer, who has dealt with thumb issues, retired seven straight batters before leaving after three innings with what the team said was a right lat issue.
Baltimore scored four runs in the fourth against Richard Lovelady (0-1). Ryan O’Hearn doubled, Cedric Mullins and Heston Kjerstad were hit by pitches. Gary Sanchez hit a sacrifice fly, Jackson Holliday walked, and Urias lined a three-run double over Santana’s head in right field.
Baltimore added two in the fifth against Jacob Barnes. Adley Rutschman doubled, Westburg beat out an infield hit, Mullins hit an RBI single, and Kjerstad stroked a sacrifice fly.
Toronto scored once in the fifth on Nathan Lukes’s walk, Bichette’s single, a wild pitch, and Guerrero’s RBI groundout.
Kremer left for Keegan Akin after allowing five runs and five hits with six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.
Westburg homered in the seventh against Chad Green on a drive that barely cleared the center-field wall.
Baltimore closer Felix Bautista, who missed 2024 with elbow surgery, made his first appearance this season in the ninth and struck out three to overcome a double and a walk.
