Orioles top Jays

Schoop scores twice as Baltimore takes opener of three-game set

Jonathan Schoop scored twice and Kevin Gausman threw 5 1/3 shutout innings as the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 on Tuesday night at Rogers Centre.

Darren O’Day worked the eighth inning and Brad Brach pitched the ninth for his 14th save as the Orioles (38-38) moved to the .500 mark.

Troy Tulowitzki hit a solo homer in the ninth inning for Toronto’s lone run. The Blue Jays (36-40) have dropped five of their last eight games.

Schoop was involved in both of Baltimore’s early rallies against Toronto starter Joe Biagini (2-7). He kept the first inning alive with a two-out single and scored on Mark Trumbo’s two-run double.

Schoop doubled in the third and came across on a single by Adam Jones.

Biagini, making his 10th start of the season, battled some control issues in the fourth.

He issued two-out walks to Hyun Soo Kim and Paul Janish - the eighth and ninth hitters in the order - before a wild pitch moved them up a base. Biagini escaped by striking out Seth Smith.

The Blue Jays had some early opportunities but couldn’t take advantage against Gausman (4-7), who entered with a bulky 6.47 earned-run average.

Jose Bautista led off with a single in the first but was erased when Russell Martin hit into a double-play.

Justin Smoak walked in the second and was caught stealing after a Kendrys Morales strikeout.

In the fifth, the Blue Jays had runners on the corners with two outs but Kevin Pillar flew out.

Biagini’s 98-pitch outing ended in the sixth inning after a one-out single by Trey Mancini. He allowed five hits, three earned runs, four walks and struck out three.

Gausman gave up a single to Bautista and walked Martin before being replaced by Michael Givens, who loaded the bases with a two-out walk to Smoak before fanning Morales.

In the ninth, Tulowitzki took a 2-2 pitch over the wall in leftcentre field for his fourth homer of the year.

The Blue Jays, who have spent most of the season in the American League East division basement, fell to 10-13 in June. However, Toronto entered play just 5 1/2 games behind the first-place New York Yankees.

The Blue Jays made several roster moves before the game. Reliever Jason Grilli was designated for assignment and outfielder Dwight Smith Jr. was optioned to triple-A Buffalo.

Right-hander Chris Smith was recalled from the Bisons and outfielder Ezequiel Carrera was reinstated from the disabled list.

Carrera came on as a pinchhitter in the seventh inning but flew out. Smith worked a scoreless ninth in his big-league debut.