• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Orioles complete sweep of Blue Jays

Apr 22, 2007 - 10:36 PM BALTIMORE (Ticker) -- The top of the batting order kept the Baltimore Orioles on a roll.

Nick Markakis and Miguel Tejada each drove in three runs as the Orioles drubbed the Toronto Blue Jays, 7-3, to complete a three-game sweep.

The top four hitters for Baltimore - Jay Payton, Melvin Mora, Markakis and Tejada - combined to to go 9-for-16 with six RBI and seven runs scored as the Orioles extended their winning streak to four games.

"We've been counting on those guys all the time," Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo said. "Jay Payton stepped right in for us, and Nicky and Miggy (Tejada) really came up big. It was a great effort on their part."

Steve Trachsel (1-1) was the beneficiary of the support, working 5 1/3 steady innings to improve to 4-0 lifetime against the Blue Jays, who tumbled to their fifth consecutive defeat.

Baltimore did all of its damage against Toronto starter Gustavo Chacin (2-1) in the third and fourth innings after Aaron Hill had staked the Blue Jays to a 1-0 lead with a solo home run in the second inning.

Payton, making his first start after starting the season on the disabled list with a hamstring injury, was the catalyst in both frames with a pair of singles that Mora followed with back-to-back walks.

"It's better to get a few hits your first day than "o-fer," Payton said. "A lot of guys spend a lot of time chasing that first time. It's nice to get it out of the way."

Markakis gave the Orioles the lead for good in the third with a two-run triple to deep center and Tejada following with an RBI single for a 3-1 lead.

"We felt all along after the second half of last season that Nick was going to be a good offensive player for us for years to come," Perlozzo said.

"That's what you have to do to win," Markakis said. "We have to continue what we are doing."

In the fourth, with Payton and Mora aboard, Markakis doubled for a 4-1 lead, ending Chacin's day. Tejada greeted Victor Zambrano with a two-run single to extend the margin to 6-1 and Corey Patterson later plated Tejada with a single.

Trachsel allowed four hits and the one run while walking four and striking out three. After yielding two walked in the sixth, he was relieved by Chad Bradford, who induced an inning-ending double-play ball by Hill.

"I felt like I threw the ball pretty well, mixed my pitches, location was good," Trachsel said. "First win is usually the hardest, so I'll take it."

Scott Williamson and Jamie Walker each pitched a scoreless inning but Brian Burres ran into trouble in the ninth, allowing a two-run bases-loaded single to Alex Rios before striking out Adam Lind.

Chacin gave up five hits and six runs - all earned - while walking two and striking out one.

"He's pitched great all year," Blue Jay manager John Gibbons said. "We ran into a hot team with great confidence."