Brett Lawrie went 3-4 with a homerun, three runs and three RBI as the Blue Jays (40-38) used a seven-run second inning to blow past the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (43-35) 11-2 on Saturday afternoon.
Yunel Escobar also went deep for the Blue Jays, who have now won two straight.
The Blue Jays’ offense was rolling, scoring eight earned runs on 10 hits, and so was the pitching of starter Henderson Alvarez.
Alvarez, one of two starters to not be hit with the injury bug, went seven innings and allowed just one run and didn’t walk a batter. It was the sophomore’s ninth quality start in 16 games pitched this season.
The Jays got things started in the bottom of the first after Jose Bautista grounded into a run-producing ground ball double play. In the very next inning, the Jays caught fire with an 11-batter hit parade.
After Escobar homered with a runner on, it appeared that the Angels would end the inning with just two runs scored after two quick outs to follow. But that didn’t happen.
Aided by a Peter Bourjos booting and a Mike Trout throwing error, the Jays scored five extra runs- two earned- as six consecutive batters reached base. The seven-run inning also saw Jose Bautista pick up his 62nd RBI, tying him for second highest in the majors, and Kelly Johnson picking up two hits, a lead-off double and a two-out triple.
Alvarez looked sharp from the start, allowing just seven hits and picking up three strikeouts to earn his second win in as many starts. Luis Perez and David Pauley combined for two one-run innings out of the bullpen, which has worked. Angels’ starter Garrett Richards saw his ERA go up from 1.63 to 2.81 as he was charged with five earned runs in 4.1 innings of work in his first loss of the year.
The Jays will aim to win their first home series since June 18 when the series concludes tomorrow afternoon at the Rogers Centre.
