Toronto Blue Jays' Ricky Romero pitches during an interleague baseball game against the Miami Marlins in Miami, Friday, June 22, 2012. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)
June 22, 2012 - 10:38 PM
MIAMI - Jose Bautista homered and drove in three runs, Kelly Johnson also had three RBIs and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the skidding Miami Marlins 12-5 on Friday night.
Brett Lawrie had three hits and scored four times to help the Blue Jays end an eight-game losing streak to the Marlins, who own a 17-5 advantage in the series. Miami has lost five straight and 14 of 16 overall.
Ricky Romero (8-1) provided the Blue Jays with seven much-needed innings after Toronto placed three starters on the disabled list in the last week. Romero allowed four runs and struck out five.
Kyle Drabek was lost for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and Drew Hutchison (elbow sprain) and Brandon Marrow (strained rib cage muscle) also went on the DL.
Giancarlo Stanton, Omar Infante and Gaby Sanchez homered for the Marlins.
Lawrie led off the game with a triple down the right-field line and scored on a groundout by Colby Rasmus. Bautista singled home Lawrie in the third, and Johnson's sacrifice fly scored Bautista.
Toronto chased Anibal Sanchez (3-6) in the fourth after the right-hander walked in a run with the bases loaded, giving the Blue Jays a 4-0 lead. Two more runs scored in the inning, both charged to Sanchez. He gave up six runs, seven hits and four walks in 3 1-3 innings.
Stanton's homer and an RBI single by Hanley Ramirez cut the lead to 6-2 before the Blue Jays scored five more in the sixth off Ryan Webb, keyed by a two-run double from J.P. Arencibia. Johnson and Rajai Davis each had an RBI single in the inning and Yunel Escobar drove in a run with Toronto's third sacrifice fly.
Bautista's 419-foot homer to left was his 23rd of the season and 11th in the past 18 games.
Infante's two-run shot was his first since May 8. Sanchez's only other home run came on April 26.
NOTES: Toronto general manager Alex Anthopoulos confirmed that Hutchison has a sprained right elbow after the pitcher had additional tests, but Hutchison will not need Tommy John surgery. "He's on a non-throwing program for four to six weeks," Anthopoulos said. "At that point, then he can start a normal throwing program. In terms of coming back, if it's six weeks that he doesn't throw, then he's going to start throwing again and get ready, you're probably looking at September." ... The Blue Jays have made an adjustment in their starting rotation. RHP Jesse Chavez will start Sunday against Miami and RHP Henderson Alvarez will start Monday against Boston. ... Marlins CF Emilio Bonifacio (sprained left thumb) took 25 swings from the left side for the first time since his May 18 injury and did not have any pain. Although he would like to return sooner, Bonifacio is still expected to be out until after the All-Star break. ... ESPN basketball analyst Dick Vitale was in attendance. ... U.S. soccer standout Jozy Altidore threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Altidore will play in the World Soccer Masters Tour game at Sun Life Stadium on Saturday. ... Miami will send RHP Josh Johnson (4-5, 4.18 ERA) to the mound Saturday to face LHP Brett Cecil (1-0, 3.60). Johnson is 6-1 with a 2.06 ERA in his last 10 interleague starts.
News from © The Associated Press, 2012