Orioles Power Past Blue Jays

Javy Lopez and the Baltimore Orioles had no trouble with Miguel Batista.

Lopez homered to spark a six-run second inning, and Matt Riley pitched one-hit ball for seven innings as the Orioles routed the Toronto Blue Jays, 11-2, Friday night in Toronto.

The Blue Jays managed only two hits, and Batista (0-2), acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks, had poor command throughout his four-plus innings.

Rafael Palmeiro also homered off Batista, who gave up seven runs, seven hits and walked three.

Riley (1-0) kept the Blue Jays in check, yielding only Josh Phelps’ homer in the second inning and three walks. He struck out seven.

“That’s a good offensive team. He was overwhelming to me,” Oriole Manager Lee Mazzilli said. “You’ve got to put a star next to his name tonight. He did a great job. He goes all out, all the time.”

Tampa Bay 3, Chicago 0 -- Paul Abbott (1-1) yielded four hits in seven innings and the host Devil Rays got home runs from Carl Crawford and Julio Lugo in stopping the White Sox, who came up short in a bid for their first 7-3 start since 1991. Tampa Bay (5-4) matched its best start to a season through nine games.

Cleveland 10, Detroit 3 -- Jody Gerut went five for five with three RBIs to help C.C. Sabathia get his first victory of the season. Gerut homered, doubled three times and singled as the host Indians roughed up Nate Cornejo (1-1), who was tagged for career highs in runs (eight) and hits (14) in five-plus innings.

Minnesota 9, Kansas City 7 -- Lew Ford hit a two-run homer and an RBI triple at Minneapolis to help the Twins hand the Royals their fourth consecutive loss. Carlos Beltran capped a Kansas City rally with a three-run homer that tied it at 7-7 in the seventh, but Royal reliever Jason Grimsley gave up an RBI single to Jacque Jones in the bottom of the inning before Ford drove him in with a triple.

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The Houston Astros traded right-handed pitcher Kirk Saarloos to the Oakland Athletics for right-hander Chad Harville. Harville, 27, had a 3.38 earned-run average in 2 2/3 innings over three games without a decision for the A’s. Saarloos, 24, a former Cal State Fullerton star, was 0-2 with a 15.43 ERA for triple-A New Orleans.