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Blue Jays score eight runs in first, beat Orioles

Sep 27, 2007 - 3:14 AM BALTIMORE (Ticker) -- The Toronto Blue Jays provided the ace of their staff with the biggest first-inning lead in franchise. Roy Halladay made sure it held up.

Toronto scored a franchise-record eight runs in the first and Halladay pitched into the eighth inning as Toronto posted an 8-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday.

Adam Lind and Matt Stairs each had two-run singles in the early outburst for the Blue Jays, who have won seven of their last nine.

"It was a great way to start the game," Stairs said. "I'm glad the lead held up."

With the run support, Halladay (16-7) struggled late but earned his second win against Baltimore this month. The former Cy Young award winner allowed five runs - three earned - over seven innings on 11 hits with one walk. Halladay struck out four and his outing marked the 10th straight start that he went at least seven innings.

"It's nice to pitch with that kind of lead," Halladay said. "It's never a bad thing to able to work with that."

"He gives us a chance to win every time he goes out there," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said.

Scott Downs relieved Halladay in the eighth, retiring all three men he faced, and Jeremy Accardo worked the ninth for his 29th save.

It was another record-setting night for the much-maligned Baltimore pitching staff, which gave up an American League-record 30 runs to Texas on August 22. The Orioles also surrendered 11 runs in the eighth inning to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on August 28, which tied a Tampa team record for runs in an inning.

Orioles starter Victor Zambrano (0-3), who was released by Toronto in July, gave up all eight runs on four hits, three walks and a hit batsman. The righthander saw his ERA rise from 6.41 to 9.74 in just two-thirds of an inning.

"The location wasn't there and when you miss the location, you get in trouble," Zambrano said. "It's pretty tough, I threw my best and didn't do my job."

Toronto wasted no time jumping all over Zambrano in the top of the first.

Reed Johnson was hit with the first pitch of the game and, after a walk and a single, Toronto had the bases loaded with nobody out. Following a Frank Thomas sacrifice fly, Aaron Hill singled and Gregg Zaun walked to force in another run and give Toronto a 2-0 lead.

"The first pitch of the game, he hit the guy and it wasn't much better after that," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. "I expected something similar to what we saw the last time he pitched. Didn't happen, and wasn't even close."

Lind hit a two-run single and Johnson added an RBI single as the Blue Jays batted around for a 5-0 lead. Kurt Birkins relieved Zambrano and Stairs greeted him with a two-run single of his own. Alex Rios drove home another run on a single to center before Thomas grounded out to mercifully end the inning.

Nick Markakis had four hits and Tike Redman had two hits and two RBI for Baltimore, which has lost 10 of their last 14 against Toronto this season.

The Orioles scored three runs in the sixth and two runs in the eighth, but never had the tying run at the plate during the game.

"Tonight was an example of playing the game with pride and for pride because the first inning everybody could have cashed it in and we didn't do that," Trembley said. "We hung together as a team and had some quality at-bats. I thought it was a great effort out of the guys tonight."