Mancini homers twice again, Orioles rout Blue Jays 11-4 (Apr 16, 2017)
TORONTO (AP) Don't be surprised if all the Baltimore Orioles are soon swinging the same style of bat used by rookie Trey Mancini.
Mancini hit two home runs, Dylan Bundy pitched six shutout innings and the Orioles beat the struggling Toronto Blue Jays 11-4 on Sunday.
Mancini connected twice for the second time in three games. He also hit two homers in a win at Boston on Wednesday. In this one, he hit a three-run blast off Ryan Tepera in the sixth, then added a solo drive off Matt Dermody in the eighth.
Mancini, who finished 3 for 5 with four RBIs, matched the major league record for home runs in the first 12 games of a career with seven, joining Trevor Story and Dino Restelli. He hit three homers in five games last September.
''It's humbling to hear that, especially with how many legends have played the game,'' Mancini said. ''To make your mark in any way is really neat.''
Using bats borrowed from Mancini's locker - he uses a Louisville Slugger C243 - Manny Machado and Craig Gentry also homered for Baltimore. They each hit a two-run shot off Dermody as the Orioles piled on late against their slumping AL East foes.
''It was pretty fun and pretty cool that they both hit home runs,'' Mancini said. ''I might need an extra shipment here soon.''
Orioles manager Buck Showalter was both amused and amazed at the productive bat-sharing.
''I have never seen that before,'' Showalter said. ''I just went, `Really?'''
Toronto lost for the eighth time in nine games and dropped to 2-10 overall. The Blue Jays have scored 34 total runs, the fewest in the majors.
''We're all concerned,'' manager John Gibbons said. ''We all expected to play better.''
Toronto lost left-hander J.A. Happ (0-3) to a sore elbow in the fifth inning, another blow to a suddenly thin starting rotation.
''Last pitch of the fourth inning I felt kind of a pull, a tug in my elbow,'' Happ said. ''Then I went back out there for the fifth and it got progressively worse.''
Happ will undergo an MRI on Monday, an off day.
Before the game, the Blue Jays put right-hander Aaron Sanchez on the 10-day disabled list with a blister on his middle finger. Gibbons said Sanchez is scheduled to visit a hand specialist in Kansas City.
Gibbons and trainer George Poulis came to the mound when Happ appeared to be in pain after throwing a first-pitch fastball to Orioles outfielder Adam Jones. Following a brief conversation, Happ walked off the mound and into the clubhouse. He allowed one run and four hits in 4 1/3 innings.
After Happ left, Jones greeted reliever Joe Biagini with an RBI single.
Bundy (2-1) gave up five hits and struck out six. He is 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA in two starts against the Blue Jays.
''Dylan was really good again,'' Showalter said. ''He's so much more than a thrower.''
Jones stayed in the game after crashing into the outfield wall in the eighth. He went down in pain after his right knee struck the scoreboard in right center on Justin Smoak's triple.
''It knocked the breath out of him more than anything,'' Showalter said.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW
Orioles right-hander Stefan Crichton made his major league debut in the seventh. He pitched 1 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on five hits.
SEARCHING FOR STARTERS
Gibbons said Biagini is unlikely to be stretched out as a starter while Happ and Sanchez are sidelined.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Orioles: Baltimore put closer Zach Britton on the 10-day disabled list with a sore left forearm. He felt pain throwing a pitch in the ninth inning on Friday. Britton said there currently are no plans to undergo an MRI. ''They don't think that's something I need to do right now,'' he said, ''which is always a good sign.''
UP NEXT
Orioles: RHP Kevin Gausman (1-0, 3.94) starts Tuesday's opener of a three-game series at Cincinnati, his first career start against the Reds.
Blue Jays: Following Monday's off day, RHP Marcus Stroman (1-1, 1.76) starts the opener of a three-game series against Boston on Tuesday. Stroman is 1-4 in seven career starts against the Red Sox.
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