TORONTO (AP) - The Blue Jays aren’t getting a whole lot of relief from their bullpen right now.
Chris Davis had two hits and three RBIs, Jonathan Schoop homered and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Blue Jays 11-4 Thursday night.
Going back to the nightcap of last Thursday’s doubleheader at Minnesota, in which the Blue Jays surrendered six runs in the eighth inning of a 9-5 loss, Toronto relievers have surrendered 22 earned runs and walked 24 batters in seven games.
“It’s going to happen,” manager John Gibbons said. “It’s still a good bullpen.”
The prime culprit Thursday was left-hander Brett Cecil, who hadn’t allowed a run over 8 2-3 innings in 10 appearances this season.
That changed against Baltimore, with Cecil (0-1) failing to retire any of the four batters he faced, all of whom came around to score.
“I didn’t feel like I had a good feel for anything,” Cecil said. “I was pulling my cutters, my curveballs were up and not as sharp.”
The Orioles, who beat Toronto 10-8 Wednesday, scored 10 or more in consecutive games for the first time since Aug. 14 and 15, 2008, when they did it against Cleveland and Detroit.
“Our lineup is scary and it’s fun to see it click the last couple of nights,” outfielder Adam Jones said.
Baltimore scored 13 runs off Blue Jays relievers in the past two games, but Gibbons appeared unfazed.
“I’m not really worried about the bullpen,” Gibbons said.
Nelson Cruz had two hits and drove in two runs for the Orioles, extending his streak of games with at least one RBI to seven.
Cruz had three homers and 10 RBIs in the three-game series against Toronto. He has 22 RBIs in April, a career high for the month.
“I know he’s got something to prove,” Orioles catcher Matt Wieters said. “We really like how he fits into our lineup.”
Bud Norris (1-2) pitched six innings to win for the first time in three road starts this season. Norris allowed three runs and five hits, walked one and struck out four.
Zach Britton worked 1 2-3 innings and Josh Stinson got the final four outs.
Trailing 3-2, Baltimore batted around in a five-run seventh against three Blue Jays relievers.
Neil Wagner started the inning by getting Schoop to line out, but left after ninth-hitter David Lough doubled. Cecil came on and walked Nick Markakis before the runners advanced on a double steal. Cruz was intentionally walked to load the bases for Davis, who hit a two-run single through the shift on the left side.
Jones chased Cecil with an RBI double and Esmil Rogers came on to face Wieters, who singled home two runs despite dropping the bat on his follow-through.
The Orioles piled on with four more off Rogers in the eighth, with Cruz and Jones each hitting two-run singles.
“They kept the pressure on us all night,” Gibbons said.
The Blue Jays scored 21 runs against Baltimore, their highest total in a three-game series this season, but only won once.
Toronto took a 3-0 lead in the second when Dioner Navarro hit a leadoff homer off Norris, his first. Two batters later, Colby Rasmus drilled a two-run shot.
Baltimore sliced the gap to one with a two-run fifth. Schoop hit a leadoff homer, David Lough followed with a walk, stole second and scored on a two-out single by Davis.
Hutchison allowed two runs and six hits in six innings, matching his longest outing of the season. He walked one and matched a season high with nine strikeouts. Hutchison, who had elbow surgery in 2012, threw a season-high 102 pitches, 63 strikes.
NOTES: Gibbons said he’s considering using a six-man rotation at times in May and June. The Blue Jays have four off days in April but just one in May and three in June. LH J.A. Happ is a candidate to move into the rotation. … Fans booed when two men seated behind home plate unfurled a Montreal Canadiens flag in the eighth. … Toronto hosts Boston on Friday in the opener of a three-game series. LH Mark Buehrle (4-0) will face RH Jake Peavy (0-0).
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