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Arencibia's slam the difference as Jays down O's

Jun 4, 2011 - 5:07 AM Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - J.P. Arencibia's grand slam provided the Toronto Blue Jays with an 8-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles in the opener of a three-game series.

Yunel Escobar went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI for a Jays club coming off a 4-3 homestand. Carlos Villanueva (3-0) was credited with the win, throwing 5 1/3 innings and getting charged with two runs on six hits.

Zach Britton (5-4) had the shortest outing of his young career in the loss. The rookie left-hander and was roughed up for seven runs -- five earned -- on six hits and three walks over five innings.

"It's some of the growing pains young pitchers go through," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of his starter. "He's going to have those nights. Hopefully he learns from them and doesn't repeat them."

J.J. Hardy went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer for Baltimore, which began a nine-game homestand with its sixth loss in seven games.

The Blue Jays struck in the second inning thanks in part to Mark Reynolds' error on a ball hit by Arencibia. The miscue preceded Aaron Hill singling home Juan Rivera and Arencibia coming in on a wild pitch.

Rivera's sacrifice fly in the third frame made it 3-0, and Toronto blew things open with one swing of the bat in the fifth. A pair of walks and Jose Bautista's two-out single loaded the bases for Arencibia, who golfed a low fastball into the seats in left field for his first career grand slam and a commanding 7-0 cushion.

Run-scoring singles by Robert Andino and Adam Jones cut into the deficit in the bottom half.

Escobar brought home Rajai Davis with a base hit in the sixth, Andino grounded into a force play to leave the bases full in the bottom half.

Hardy's homer off Jason Frasor in the eighth provided the game's final margin.

Game Notes

Bautista has reached base safely in 46 of his 49 games this year...Davis went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a steal...Britton was 3-1 with a 1.91 earned-run average in seven home starts coming into the game...This was the first meeting of the season between the American League East rivals. Toronto took 15 of 18 in last year's series.