TORONTO — Jack Flaherty pitched six innings to win his Baltimore debut, Ryan Mountcastle and Austin Hays each had four hits and the American League-leading Orioles beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-1 on Thursday.
Mountcastle went 4 for 4 and scored twice and Hays was 4 for 5 with two RBIs as Baltimore took three of four from Toronto. The Orioles are 8-2 against the Blue Jays this season.
Baltimore extended its lead in the AL East to two games over Tampa Bay. The Rays were off Thursday.
Toronto is 8-23 against AL East opponents.
Acquired from St. Louis on Tuesday, Flaherty (8-6) allowed one run and four hits. He walked two and struck out eight.
Left-hander Danny Coulombe, and right-handers Yennier Cano and Mike Baumann each worked one inning.
Flaherty got a win against the Blue Jays for the second time this season. With the Cardinals, Flaherty overcame a career-worst seven walks to pitch five shutout innings and beat Toronto on April 1.
On Thursday, Toronto’s Whit Merrifield led off the bottom of the first with a single and Brandon Belt walked, but Flaherty retired the next 15 batters in order.
Kevin Kiermaier singled to begin the sixth and was ruled safe at second on Merrifield’s infield single after the Blue Jays challenged umpire Mike Muchlinski’s force out call.
One out later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit an RBI single. George Springer walked to load the bases, but Flaherty ended his outing by striking out Matt Chapman and getting Alejandro Kirk to fly out.
Adley Rutschman and Hays each hit RBI singles off former Orioles right-hander Kevin Gausman in the second but left fielder Daulton Varsho threw Hays out at home plate to end the inning.
Gausman (8-6) allowed three runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out two and walked six.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: LHP Keegan Akin (back) pitched one scoreless inning in a rehab appearance at Triple-A Norfolk Thursday. RHP Mychal Givens (shoulder) followed with two scoreless innings for the Tides.
Blue Jays: Toronto put RHP Trevor Richards on the 15-day IL because of neck inflammation and recalled RHP Bowden Francis from Triple-A Buffalo. … RHP Chad Green (Tommy John surgery) allowed one hit and struck out two over 1 2/3 innings in a rehab appearance at Triple-A on Wednesday night. Green is expected to pitch for the Bisons again Saturday.
UP NEXT
Orioles: RHP Dean Kremer (10-4, 4.55 ERA) starts Friday as Baltimore returns home for an interleague series against the New York Mets. LHP David Peterson (3-7, 5.92) starts for New York.
Blue Jays: RHP Alek Manoah (2-8, 5.87 ERA) starts Friday as Toronto begins a three-game series in Boston. Canadian LHP James Paxton (6-2, 3.34) starts for the Red Sox, who are 7-0 against Toronto.
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