A loud night, a quiet reception

Billy McKinney didn’t receive the reaction he was expecting when he returned to the Blue Jays dugout after hitting his first big-league home run in the fifth inning of an 8-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night, a dream-come-true moment for the prospect.

The 23-year-old, who was traded to the Jays as part of the deal that sent left-hander J.A. Happ to the New York Yankees last month, was given the silent treatment by his new teammates after hitting a long ball to centre-right field.

It caught him by surprise despite the popularity of the gag in the game in recent years, but McKinney found the treatment funny and tried to roll with the punches. He celebrated on his own, high-fiving thin air for a while before the Jays’ players and staff joined in.

“I think I’ve seen a video, somebody do it before, so I thought I’d try it,” McKinney said. “I don’t know if I was any good but I tried to go with it.”

McKinney was one of four Toronto players to hit solo home runs in the game; Aledmys Diaz went long in the second and Justin Smoak and Kendrys Morales had back-to-back homers to lead off the fifth.

The homers were part of a 12hit attack for the Jays. Second baseman Devon Travis was the only starting position player without a hit.

“The ball was flying tonight, no doubt about it,” manager John Gibbons said. “But that’s how we win, we hit homers.”

Baltimore, now 1-11 against Toronto this season, managed two runs on six hits against Jays starter Sam Gaviglio, who worked seven innings, walked one and struck out seven. The right-hander struggled through the second, loading the bases with one out and giving up an RBI single to Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph, but he was able to get out of the jam. Cedric Mullins hit a solo homer in the fifth for Baltimore’s other run.

It was Gaviglio’s first win since May 25.

“When he gets hurt, he’s up in the zone, because he’s not overpowering by any means,” Gibbons said. “So he lives on the edge ... he’s good when he doesn’t give in to those guys.”

Toronto pulled away with three runs in the fourth, two on a McKinney single, and three more in the fifth, the last on McKinney’s homer. The rookie is now 5-for-11with two walks in the four games since he was called up last Friday.

“He’s looking for his opportunity,” Gibbons said, “and he’s definitely taken advantage of it.”