Community Picks: Toronto Blue Jays 0% vs Boston Red Sox 0%

TORONTO – The powerful Baltimore Orioles’ first two runs came courtesy of a sacrifice fly and an RBI fielder’s choice. The third run was driven home on a ground ball through the right side. So was the fourth.  Not how you would expect the team that leads the major leagues in home runs to generate its offence, but as long as they scored more runs than the Blue Jays on Thursday night it was good enough. One run would have been enough in this game. Orioles starter Ubaldo Jimenez – he of the 5.71 ERA on the season, but 3.17 ERA in the second half – shut out Toronto over 6 2/3 innings and Baltimore’s lights-out bullpen did the rest in a 4-0 win at Rogers Centre where the home team managed just one extra-base hit. The boos from the sellout crowd hoping to see the Blue Jays grab a stranglehold on the wild card began well before thebottom of the ninth when Josh Donaldson and Jose Bautista struck out against reliever Brad Brach. It was Bautista’s third strikeout of the game and Donaldson was retired on strikes twice. The offensive woes that have plagued the team this month has put them in a less-than-ideal spot. “We need to get back to hitting the baseball, getting on base and knocking them in,” said Bautista. “We he had seven chances today with runners in scoring position. We didn’t do that. That falls on guys like me do drive the runs in and we’ve got to do a better job.” Continue to Article

September 30, 2016 12:40:am EST