Buehrle wins 200th as Blue Jays spoil O's home opener in rout
BALTIMORE -- The Blue Jays struck early and often, hitting double digits on the scoreboard by the fourth inning as they cruised to a 12-5 rout Friday afternoon, spoiling the Orioles' home opener at Camden Yards.
Jose Bautista went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and four runs scored and Josh Donaldson and Dioner Navarro each drove in three, with eight runs charged to Orioles starter Bud Norris. Notching his 200th career win, Toronto lefty Mark Buehrle did his part, holding Baltimore to two runs -- including Adam Jones' solo homer -- over six innings.
Jones scored twice and drove in another run for the O's as part of a four-hit afternoon, which ties a career high. Teammate Jonathan Schoop added his first homer of 2015, a solo shot off Blue Jays righty Marco Estrada in the ninth.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Bautista breaks out: Bautista entered the game riding an 0-for-12 skid, but it didn't take long for him to turn things around. Toronto's right fielder hit an opposite field RBI single as part of the Blue Jays' four-run inning in the first. Bautista followed with a double in the third and another RBI single in the fifth. He was later removed from the game because of cramping in both his legs, but the issue is expected to be minor and he plans to play Saturday night.
Video: TOR@BAL: Bautista perfect at dish until early exit
"I don't consider it a slump, it was a bad couple of games," Bautista said after the game. "It looks worse because I struck out a lot, but it happens." More >
Buehrle earns career win No. 200: Buehrle became the fourth active pitcher to reach the 200-win mark with six strong innings. Buehrle surrendered a homer to Jones in the first, but managed to strand a pair of runners in the second and third innings before Toronto took control. Buehrle is the second pitcher to earn career victory No. 200 while wearing a Blue Jays uniform, following Roger Clemens in 1997.
"When my career is done and I look back at everything, it will be being healthy and going out there every start," Buehrle said. "Hopefully I can finish out this year without going on the DL. But when you go 200 innings, everything will come into play. You're going to get your wins, I'm just fortunate to go out there, stay healthy and go deep into games when I can." More >
Video: TOR@BAL: Buehrle talks about his 200th career victory
Jones just misses cycle: A bright spot for the Orioles, Jones doubled his season RBI total in a four-hit afternoon in which he fell a triple short of the cycle. After a first-inning homer, he doubled in the third and delivered an RBI single in the fifth in which he was thrown out at second base. Jones also singled and scored in the eighth.
"It's cool, all that individual stuff is cool," Jones said of his line. "But you know me, I''m a team guy. We didn't win, I didn't win. All that individual stuff means nothing if we don't win." More >
Video: TOR@BAL: Jones goes 4-for-4 with two RBIs
Norris can't contain Jays: The right-hander, who pitched to a 9.26 ERA this spring, turned in his shortest outing (non-weather related) since 2012 and gave up a career high in earned runs since coming to Baltimore midway through the '12 season. Norris exited after three-plus innings and gave up seven hits, four of which were doubles, in the 66-pitch outing.
"I hope not, in all honesty," Norris said of having any carryover from this spring. "Based on years previous, I don't think so. This is just one start today and I don't think it carries over too much. I'm going to take a look at some things on video and go from there." More >
QUOTABLE
"Everybody kept saying it was gonna rain, rain, rain. It's probably gonna dump tonight, though. But it was good that it didn't so we can get the game in. It's good when you get the game in. Obviously when you have delays, you get the fans, they get the sales [to] go up a little bit in certain areas." -- Jones, on the game going off without a delay despite the ominous forecast
"I don't know, man. Too much beer and not enough Gatorade, I guess. I don't know." -- Blue Jays manager John Gibbons, joking when asked if dehydration played a role in Bautista's cramping issue
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
The 12 runs tied the second-most the O's have given up in their home opener (dating back to 1954). They lost, 12-0, to Milwaukee in 1988. They allowed 13 runs in 1959.
The Blue Jays had eight doubles, which is the most by the club since July 20, 2010, at Kansas City. Toronto's franchise record for doubles in one game is 10, which happened Aug. 17, 2008, against Boston.
Video: TOR@BAL: Blue Jays hit eight doubles vs. Orioles
OPENING DAY FESTIVITIES
Hall of Famer Jim Palmer fired the first pitch to former batterymate Rick Dempsey -- both team broadcasters -- to garner a big pregame ovation. The Orioles also donated $50,000 to Autism Speaks in honor of Palmer's stepson.
INJURY UPDATES
Orioles reliever Wesley Wright has been dealing with left shoulder pain on and off recently and he said following Friday's loss that he believes it's more a trapezius/neck issue that is causing sharp shooting pain.
"I'm pretty concerned," said Wright, who velocity was down to the mid-80s during his four-out appearance on Friday. "I'm a guy who most of my career has been on the field. Not really the type of guy who even likes to be in the training room, so for me to say something, it's something I felt that I needed to say something just so it doesn't get any worse and do something more that could have been taken care of earlier." More >
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