Austin Hays smacks 2 HRs as O's best Jays

Austin Hays had two home runs and three RBIs, Anthony Santander hit a two-run homer and the visiting Baltimore Orioles defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 7-2 on Monday night.

Ramon Urias added a solo shot for the Orioles, who have won nine of their past 11 games. Second baseman Connor Norby made his major league debut and went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. He is the No. 6 prospect in Baltimore's organization, according to MLB Pipeline.

Baltimore starter Grayson Rodriguez (6-2) held Toronto to two runs (one earned) and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. Rodriguez didn't issue a walk and struck out four.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a solo home run for the Blue Jays, who are 2-2 on their seven-game homestand. Monday marked the opener of a four-game series.

Toronto starter Kevin Gausman (4-4) allowed six runs, six hits and one walk in 6 1/3 innings. He fanned three.

Ryan O'Hearn walked to lead off the Baltimore second, and Santander followed with his 11th home run of the season to make it 2-0.

The Blue Jays scored once in the bottom of the frame. George Springer reached base with two outs thanks to a throwing error by shortstop Gunnar Henderson. Springer then scored on Daulton Varsho's triple into the right field corner.

Baltimore later answered with three runs in the fourth.

Santander singled with one out and scored on Colton Cowser's two-out double. Hays followed with his first homer of the season, a two-run shot, to give the Orioles a 5-1 lead.

Guerrero led off the bottom of the fourth with his sixth homer of the year, but Hays opened the seventh with a solo shot of his own to push the Baltimore lead back to four.

Urias, who entered the game as a replacement for Norby and moved over to third base, hit his third homer of 2024 with one out in the ninth against Ryan Burr to close the scoring.

Toronto pitching coach Pete Walker was ejected by plate umpire Phil Cuzzi in the fourth inning.

--Field Level Media