TORONTO (AP) Austin Hays hit two home runs and Grayson Rodriguez pitched two-run ball into the seventh inning, helping the Baltimore Orioles beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-2 on Monday night.
Anthony Santander and RamĆ³n UrĆas also went deep as Baltimore won for the ninth time in 11 games. The Orioles are 31-11 when they hit more than one home run.
Colton Cowser added an RBI double as Baltimore improved to 12-4 against AL East opponents.
Rodriguez (6-2) allowed one earned run and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings in his first win in four career starts against Toronto.
āThatās his best start of the year,ā Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said.
Rodriguez struck out four and walked none in his longest outing of the season.
āTonight there was a lot of early contact,ā Rodriguez said. āWhen theyāre giving me that early contact for outs, Iām going to take it.ā
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a solo drive for his sixth homer for the Blue Jays. Guerrero has 23 career home runs against Baltimore, his most against any opponent.
Hays hit a two-run drive to left with two out in the fourth for his first homer of the season. He led off the seventh with a first-pitch homer off Kevin Gausman.
āItās great to see him, after a tough start, play with some edge right now,ā Hyde said.
It was Haysā sixth career multihomer game. He hit at least 16 homers in each of the previous three seasons.
Hays said heās feeling back at full strength after he was sidelined from April 22 to May 13 because of a strained left calf.
āIāve been confident since I came off the IL,ā Hays said. āIāve been swinging it really good. I swung it good through my rehab. Itās just starting to show up now.ā
Santander connected for his 11th homer after Ryan OāHearn walked leading off the second.
Gausman (4-4) was charged with six runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings in his first loss since April 23 at Kansas City. He allowed a season-high three homers, more than he had given up in his past nine starts combined.
āI really feel like I only made two mistakes and both of them left the park,ā Gausman said.
Orioles infielder Connor Norby made his major league debut at second base after he was promoted from Triple-A Norfolk. He batted ninth and went 0 for 3 with two swinging strikeouts before he was replaced by UrĆas in the bottom of the seventh.
āHe did fine,ā Hyde said of Norby. āNice to get his first start, Iām sure, and his first few at-bats out of the way. Heāll be back in there tomorrow.ā
UrĆas made it 7-2 with a solo homer off Ryan Burr in the ninth.
Home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi ejected Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker for arguing balls and strikes in the top of the fourth. The ejection was Walkerās first of the season.
TRAINERāS ROOM
Orioles: INF Jorge Mateo was placed on the seven-day concussion list. Mateo left Sundayās loss to Tampa Bay in the fourth inning after being struck by teammate Cedric Mullinsā bat while Mullins was loosening up around the on-deck circle. ... LHP John Means had surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. Means had the same surgery in April 2022.
UP NEXT
RHP Corbin Burnes (5-2, 2.35 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Orioles on Tuesday night. The Blue Jays had not named a starter.
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This story has been corrected. A previous version had an incorrect final score.
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