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TORONTO (AP) — Marcus Stroman bounced back from his worst start of the season with one of his best.
Stroman pitched five-hit ball into the eighth inning, Jose Bautista and Justin Smoak homered, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-0 on Wednesday night.
Stroman (8-4) recovered nicely from a seven-run outing at Texas last Thursday. The right-hander allowed five singles and struck out eight to win for the first time since June 10 at Seattle.
"He's somebody who gives you a chance every time out," Smoak said of Stroman. "He dominated tonight."
The Orioles had won three in a row, but couldn't touch Stroman.
"He was really good," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "He was the difference."
Stroman threw a career-high 119 pitches. It was the highest total by a Toronto pitcher since David Price threw 119 against Minnesota on Aug. 3, 2015.
"I thought he got stronger as the game went on against a dangerous team," manager John Gibbons said. "It's tough to shut down their hitters and we needed that, we needed that desperately."
Stroman left to a standing ovation after Seth Smith's two-out single in the eighth. Danny Barnes came on and walked Manny Machado, putting a runner in scoring position for Baltimore for the first time. Barnes escaped the jam by striking out Jonathan Schoop.
Roberto Osuna struck out the side in the ninth, finishing a five-hitter. The Blue Jays improved to 3-8 against the Orioles.
Bautista hit a leadoff homer in the first and Smoak added his career-best 21st to begin the fourth.
Both homers came off left-hander Wade Miley (3-6), who allowed four runs, three earned, in five innings.
"I've got to figure something out," Miley said. "I've got to figure out how to get the fastball back over the plate. I really didn't have it at all tonight."
Bautista's drive was his ninth career leadoff homer, the first by a Blue Jays batter this season. The shot to right was Bautista's first opposite-field blast since Sept. 12, 2015.
"It makes a big difference when you take the lead," Gibbons said. "We've been giving up a lot in the first inning, playing catch-up, so it was good to do it that way tonight."
Smoak has hit more home runs before the All-Star break than any switch hitter since Yankees slugger Mark Teixeira had 22 in 2015.
Toronto used two hits and a walk to load the bases later in the fourth. Bautista hit a run-scoring fielder's choice, and a second run scored on Schoop's throwing error.
LONG MAN
Stroman has pitched at least seven innings on six occasions this season. All other Blue Jays starters have combined to do it nine times.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Toronto grounded into three double plays. The Blue Jays have hit into a major league-leading 84 double plays this season.
BEER CAN THROWER SENTENCED
The man who threw a beer can toward Baltimore outfielder Hyun Soo Kim during last year's AL wild-card game against the Blue Jays was sentenced Wednesday to community service and ordered to stay away major league baseball stadiums for one year. Ken Pagan received a conditional discharge, meaning he will not have a criminal record if he complies with his sentence. He pleaded guilty to mischief last month.
WELCOME BACK
Toronto signed outfielder Michael Saunders to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Buffalo. The Canadian-born Saunders won the Final Vote competition for an AL All-Star berth with the Blue Jays last season but tailed off in the second half, hitting .178 with eight homers and 15 RBIs. Saunders signed with Philadelphia in January but was let go by the last-place Phillies after batting .205 with six homers and 20 RBIs in 61 games.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Orioles: LHP Zach Britton (strained forearm) will pitch in the later innings in his scheduled rehab appearances Friday at Class-A Frederick and Monday at Triple-A Norfolk in a bid to duplicate his regular role in the ninth.
Blue Jays: RHP Aaron Sanchez (blister) will make a second rehab start, either with Class A Dunedin or Triple-A Buffalo, before being activated off the disabled list, Gibbons said.
UP NEXT
Orioles: RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (2-3, 7.26 ERA) allowed a season-worst nine runs in his previous start, a June 23 loss at Tampa Bay. He is 7-5 in 18 career games against Toronto.
Blue Jays: LHP J.A. Happ (2-4, 3.83 ERA) is 2-0 with a 1.86 ERA in his past three starts. He is winless in two outings against Baltimore this season.
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