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Orioles batter Morrow, Jays

Jul 27, 2011 - 6:02 AM Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - J.J. Hardy hit a pair of home runs and finished with four RBI as the Baltimore Orioles easily took care of the Toronto Blue Jays, 12-4, in the opener of a three-game set at Rogers Centre.

"I think we all came out ready to swing the bats and we were able to score some runs," said Hardy.

Derrek Lee also had a strong outing for the O's with four hits and five knocked in as he registered a two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning. Nolan Reimold also homered for the visitors as they captured their second win in the last three outings.

Baltimore pitcher Jake Arrieta (10-7), who was hit with a batted ball on the foot before leaving the game following the fifth inning, permitted four runs on five hits and a pair of walks. Arrieta struck out four and survived a pair of home runs to pick up the win.

Adam Lind hit his 19th home run for the Blue Jays, a three-run shot in the third inning as the hosts bowed for the third time in the last four games. For Lind, it was his fifth straight game against the Orioles with a home run. Yunel Escobar and Aaron Hill posted two hits apiece, the latter hitting his fifth home run of the season.

Toronto starter Brandon Morrow (7-5) lasted just 3 1/3 innings on his 27th birthday, giving up seven runs -- six earned -- on nine hits and a walk. Morrow struck out five, but he also allowed three home runs.

"He didn't get into a flow or a rhythm as he's done for the last two months that he's been on the mound for us," Blue Jays manager John Farrell said about Morrow.

Toronto slugger Jose Bautista made an early exit in the bottom of the third when he was hit in the head by an Arrieta fastball. Bautista appeared to be alright and is being listed as day-to-day.

After the Jays put runners on first and second with no one out in the bottom of the first inning and failed to move the runners, Baltimore came alive in the top of the second with singles by Vladimir Guerrero, fresh of the disabled list, and Matt Wieters. Lee then doubled in both before being stranded himself.

In the next inning Hardy stepped to the plate to begin the frame and deposited a solo home run over the left-field wall to give the visitors a 3-0 edge.

Following a walk to Nick Markakis, Adam Jones and Guerrero both flied out and a grounder by Wieters to the right side should have been the third out of the inning, but Morrow failed to touch the bag as he received the throw from Lind. With runners on first and second, Lee laced a single to center that brought Markakis around to make the score 4-0.

The next threat for the Jays came in the bottom of the third when Escobar chopped a single to the left side to start the frame, fielded by Arrieta who promptly threw the ball away, allowing Escobar to take second.

After a strikeout by Eric Thames, Bautista took his chances at getting the first run across for Toronto. Unfortunately, the slugger took a fastball off the ear flap and dropped to the ground. After a few moments it was decided that Bautista had to be taken out for precautionary measures.

Pinch running for Bautista was John McDonald, taking over for third base defensively as well.

Lind got Toronto into the scoring column with a three-run home run to left- center to draw the hosts to within one.

Reimold wasted no time in getting one of those runs back for the Orioles as he rocketed a home run to the second deck in left field as he led off the next inning. Following a single by Robert Andino, Hardy was at it again for the visitors as he too sent a Morrow pitch over the wall in left to re-gain the four-run advantage for the O's.

The home runs kept coming in the bottom of the fourth when Hill crushed a shot out to left to start off Toronto's half of the inning.

Lee notched his third hit of the night, opening up the fifth with a single to center. Reimold smacked a line drive to left field that was misplayed by Corey Patterson and went all the way to the wall to bring in Lee and place Reimold on second. Andino followed with a double of his own to plate Reimold and make the score 9-4 with one out.

Andino advanced to third base on a passed ball by Jose Molina and then came home on a sacrifice fly by Hardy as the shortstop made it four RBI on the night.

Back at it in the eighth inning, Lee delivered a two-out, two-run home run to center which scored Wieters, who had worked a walk prior to Lee stepping to the dish.

Except for a single by Molina in the bottom of the eighth, the Jays were barely heard from the rest of the way.

Game Notes

Hardy, who recorded the fifth multi-home run game of his career, entered the game batting .400 with four doubles and two home runs in six games versus Toronto this season...The Jays have not dropped a season series against Baltimore since 2004 when the O's posted 11 wins in 19 chances...Lind entered the night's contest hitting .556 in the previous five games versus the O's..The Blue Jays had won each of Morrow's previous seven appearances...Baltimore hurlers entered the contest with the most home runs allowed (127) in the majors and had the highest ERA as well (4.83)...Guerrero was in the lineup after coming off the DL following a fractured right wrist which occurred on July 10, the team clearing room on the roster by optioning pitcher Mark Worrell to Triple-A Norfolk.