Ernie Clement dazzles all-around as Blue Jays down Orioles

Ernie Clement had a three-run homer and a triple Saturday afternoon and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Baltimore Orioles 6-4.

Clement also played strong defense at second base and Brandon Valenzuela added three hits and a sacrifice fly as Toronto gained a split of the first two games of the three-game series.

Pete Alonso hit a two-run homer and Colton Cowser and Blaze Alexander hit solo shots for the Orioles.

Toronto opener Braydon Fisher worked around a walk and a single in the first.

Baltimore took a 1-0 lead in the second against Spencer Miles (3-1) when Cowser took a 3-2 sinker to right-center for a home run.

Toronto scored once against Kyle Bradish (3-7) in the home second. Jesus Sanchez singled and was forced at second on Clement's grounder. Valenzuela doubled to right and Kazuma Okamoto lined an RBI single to left.

Toronto took a 5-1 lead in the third. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. walked with two out, Sanchez bounced a single to left and Clement homered to left on a 1-0 slider. Valenzuela, Okamoto and Andres Gimenez singled to produce another run.

Bradish completed four innings, allowing five runs, nine hits and three walks with three strikeouts, before Keegan Aiken took over in the fifth.

Aiken allowed Clement's one-out triple to right that had Cowser crashing into the fence. Cowser hurt his left elbow but stayed in the game and made a superb catch on the warning track on Valenzuela's sacrifice fly.

Jeff Hoffman replaced Miles with Gunnar Henderson on first on a single and one out in the sixth. Hoffman promptly gave up Alonso's homer to right on an 0-2 fastball.

That left Miles with two runs allowed, two hits and one walk with five strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings as Toronto's second of six pitchers.

Alexander homered to left on a 1-0 sweeper from Mason Fluharty with one out in the seventh to cut the lead to 6-4.

Tyler Rogers replaced Fluharty after Henderson started the eighth with an infield hit. Rogers finished the inning with the help of Clement's fine defensive play on Alonso's grounder up the middle.

Louis Varland pitched a perfect ninth to earn his 10th save with Clement making a sharp game-ending play on Alexander's grounder.

--Field Level Media