|
|
Off to a dismal start, the Toronto Blue Jays are hoping to build some positive momentum.
Frank Catalanotto hit a tiebreaking single in the 12th inning Saturday, leading the Blue Jays over the Baltimore Orioles 5-4.
``I'm starting to see real signs of our offense starting to come back and grind out at-bats,'' Blue Jays manager Carlos Tosca said. ``I'm hoping we win this series and win the next one and the next. ... There has to be some consistency.''
Chris Woodward led off the 12th by doubling off the left-field wall against Mike DeJean (0-1). Catalanotto followed with a single through the hole at shortstop.
``I tried to throw a fastball down and away, and it's really not my strong suit. I'm a sinkerball pitcher and if he hits it to the shortstop, it's a different inning,'' DeJean said.
Kerry Ligtenberg (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings for the victory. The Blue Jays, off to a franchise-worst 5-12 start, stranded 18 runners.
ADVERTISEMENT
Toronto has come from behind in four of its wins.
``It's been real tough for us lately -- we haven't been swinging the bats the way we're capable,'' said Blue Jays catcher Kevin Cash, who homered. ``So it's good when we can overcome what happened today and get a win.
Tosca was ejected in the 11th inning by plate umpire Mike Everitt for arguing after Melvin Mora popped up and the ball went off the glove of Cash near the first-base line. Everitt ruled that Mora did not interfere with Cash's ability to make a catch, but Mora wound up at first on the error. It was the fourth ejection of Tosca's career.
Miguel Tejada had three hits, including a homer, and two RBIs for the Orioles, who had won seven of eight. Javy Lopez also drove in two runs.
Carlos Delgado had a season-high four hits, including a home run, for Toronto, which had lost six of seven.
Lopez's two-out RBI single in the first staked Eric Bedard to a 1-0 lead and Tejada hit a two-run homer off Pat Hentgen in the third.
Bedard was chased in the fourth when Dave Berg hit a run-scoring single and Woodward had an RBI double. Delgado tied it 3-all with a solo homer in the fifth off Rick Bauer.
Lopez hit an RBI single in the bottom half, after Rafael Palmeiro was pickedoff first, but Cash retied it with a sixth-inning homer.
Notes
After the game, Toronto designated RHP Josh Towers for assignment and optioned
RHP Aquilino Lopez to Triple-A Syracuse. The Blue Jays purchased the contract
of RHP Justin Miller from Syracuse and recalled RHP Micheal Nakamura from the
same club. ... LHP B.J. Ryan pitched 1 1-3 innings of scoreless relief for Baltimore
and unscored upon in 10 2-3 innings over seven appearances thisyear. ... Tejada
is 8-for-19 against Hentgen with four homers and nine RBIs.