Zach Eflin was solid on the mound in his Orioles debut, Anthony Santander hit his 30e home run of the season and Baltimore beat the Toronto Blue Jays 11-5 on Monday in the first game of a doubleheader.
Acquired Friday from Tampa Bay for three minor league players, Eflin (6-7) immediately bolstered Baltimore’s thin rotation, the American League East’s top team. Although he allowed 10 hits in six innings, including a three-run homer, Eflin struck out seven and walked no batters.
The right-hander was buoyed by an offense that built a four-run lead in the first inning and extended the lead to 7-0 in the fourth. Santander made it 10-3 in the fifth with a three-run home run off a pitch by Yerry Rodríguez. Ryan Mountcastle hit a solo homer in the eighth and Jordan Westburg finished the game with three doubles and two RBIs.
Addison Barger hit his first MLB home run for the Blue Jays, driving in three runs on a pitch by Eflin in the fifth inning. Barger entered in the second inning to replace first baseman Justin Turner, who was traded to Seattle during the game.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. also hit a home run for the Blue Jays, who had just swept the Texas Rangers in a three-game series.
Blue Jays right-hander Yariel Rodriguez (1-4) walked the first three batters he faced before Mountcastle singled, driving in a run, and Westburg was struck out but drove in a run. After catcher’s interference, Rodriguez walked again with the bases loaded and hit James McCann in the face with a fastball, giving up another run to the Orioles, who had a 4-0 lead.
McCann was treated for nosebleeds at home plate and in the dugout but remained in the game. It was Rodriguez’s final pitch in the shortest of his 10 career starts.
The two teams will face each other again this Monday evening.
Bowden Francis (3-2, 5.82 ERA) of the Blue Jays and Cade Povich (1-4, 6.27 ERA) of the Orioles will be the starting pitchers in Game 2.
Justin Turner heads west
The Toronto Blue Jays traded infielder and designated hitter Justin Turner to the Seattle Mariners during the game against the Orioles for outfield prospect RJ Schreck.
Turner, 39, signed a one-year, $13 million contract with Toronto in January.
Despite high hopes for 2024, the Blue Jays are sellers ahead of the trade deadline on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
The club sent reliever Yimi Garcia to the Seattle Mariners, catcher Danny Jansen to the Boston Red Sox and reliever Nate Pearson to the Chicago Cubs in recent days.
Before Monday’s game, Turner was hitting .257 with six homers and 31 RBIs in 90 games this season.
Schreck, 24, is hitting .250 in the minor leagues this season with 12 homers and 45 RBIs.