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Arencibia powers Toronto over Twins in opener

Apr 2, 2011 - 6:40 AM Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - J.P. Arencibia finished 3-for-4 with two home runs and five RBI as Toronto routed Minnesota, 13-3, in the season-opener for both clubs from Rogers Centre.

Jose Bautista was 3-for-4 with a solo homer and scored three times for the Blue Jays, who are looking to improve upon last year's 85-77 record in a competitive AL East.

Adam Lind added two hits, including a homer, and drove in three as Ricky Romero (1-0) allowed one earned run on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings, and struck out seven.

Denard Span and Alexi Casilla knocked in a run apiece for the Twins, the two- time defending AL Central champs.

Carl Pavano (0-1) was torched for six hits and eight runs -- seven earned -- over four-plus frames.

"I wasn't able to make good pitches. I was up in the zone and inconsistent with everything," Pavano said.

Toronto picked up four runs in the first against a shaky Pavano. The bases were loaded when Lind was plunked to force in the first run, and sacrifice flies to center by Aaron Hill and Edwin Encarnacion followed before a fielding error on a Travis Snider grounder plated Lind.

Arencibia launched a two-run shot in the home fourth for a 6-0 Jays lead, then Bautista and Lind hit back-to-back solo homers to start the fifth. Arencibia added a two-run triple later in the frame to push Toronto into double digits.

"I never did well in spring training and it's just one of those things where my timing worked out well," said Arencibia.

Minnesota finally cracked the scoreboard in the seventh, getting three runs. Encarnacion's fielder's choice error on Danny Valencia's ground ball got one home, while Casilla's RBI double and a Span groundout made it a 10-3 game.

Arencibia took a pitch over the wall in right field to start the bottom of the eighth, then Lind added a run-scoring single and John McDonald posted a sac fly to center.

Game Notes

Toronto won six of the nine meetings last season and has gone 18-6 against Minnesota since 2008...Arencibia became the sixth player in Blue Jays history to hit at least two homers on Opening Day...Toronto needed just 12 hits to score 13 runs, falling short of the record for hits in its first game of the season (16), accomplished in the club's first-ever game in April, 1977.