Hot Bats Cool off Orioles

BALTIMORE – It seems like Steve Trachsel has been around for an eternity. For most of that time he has always seemed to have Toronto's number.

Going into last night, the 37-year-old was 6 - 0 in his career against Toronto with a 3.12 ERA.

"He loves the Blue Jays," Toronto manager John Gibbons said before the game.

Maybe not as much this morning.

For the first time, Toronto roughed up the veteran right-hander and the game ended in a lopsided 11-3 victory.

Trachsel shook in the first. The worse things got, the slower Trachsel became, until he seemed to be frozen between pitches.

Trachsel collapsed in the third, allowing the Blue Jays' order to bat around for the first time this season. Aaron Hill landed the heaviest blow with a three-run homer.

"Tonight, we got him," Gibbons said with satisfaction. "That's the start of something."

Where Trachsel was porous, Toronto starter Shaun Marcum was remarkably effective. He allowed only four hits in 6 2/3, though two of those were solo home runs. Marcum (2-0) now sports a 2.61 ERA, lowest among Toronto's starters.

Toronto ended its short road swing with a 4-1 record, stretching its mark away from home to 5-3 this season. That's a large measure of success for a team that made winning away from the dome a priority this year.

After sweeping Texas in Arlington over the weekend, they'll welcome the Rangers to the Rogers Centre for the first of two, beginning tonight.

Put in blind-date terms, Trachsel's evening began by slamming the door on his companion's hand.

He hit Toronto leadoff man David Eckstein with a pitch. Eckstein stole second and was pushed to third by Hill's single.

Eckstein scored on an Alex Rios grounder, giving Toronto the early 1-0 lead.

Handed an advantage, Marcum went to work.

Gibbons agreed before the game that Marcum has been Toronto's most effective pitcher not named Roy Halladay this season.

"He's so far ahead of his experience," Gibbons said of the 26-year-old.

Marcum looked Halladay-esque at the outset – that is to say, shaky in the early going. He walked Baltimore lead-off hitter Brian Roberts. He gave up another walk and a double in the second. But, like Halladay, he didn't allow his early jitters to translate into runs.

By the third, it was clear that Trachsel's signature breaking ball was not working. Nor was any other pitch. No matter how slowly he approached things, the game started to slip away fast.

He walked Gregg Zaun to start the second, before giving up a single to Marco Scutaro. Zaun was caught out on a failed hit-and-run, but Eckstein's single made it two on base and none out.

Hill stepped in and slapped Trachsel's second pitch – a non-breaking breaking ball – into the left-field seats. Toronto led 4-0.

Trachsel continued to unravel. He walked Rios, gave up a single to Vernon Wells and walked Frank Thomas. The first seven Jays batters of the second inning reached base safely. With the bases loaded and Matt Stairs, 5-for-13 career against Trachsel, stepping in, the Baltimore veteran was yanked.

Stairs' sacrifice fly off reliever Greg Aquino made the score 5-0.

Baltimore replied with solo home runs by Nick Markakis, Adam Jones and Melvin Mora. But that was really all the offense they could muster.

Toronto, on the other hand, pecked away with a season-high 16 hits and 11 runs. By the end of the night, every starter had a hit. Now they hope to bring the momentum earned the hard way – on the road – into their six-game home-stand.