Chris Tillman allows seven runs as Blue Jays beat Orioles, complete three-game sweep

It's pretty safe to say the April version of the Toronto Blue Jays has been better than the April Baltimore Orioles. Now we see what the rest of the season will hold.

The Blue Jays knocked another O's starter out early and beat the Orioles 7-6 tonight for their fifth win in six games between the teams.

The Orioles have lost four in a row by a combined score of 31-15 and come home after a 2-5 road trip with a 7-9 record.

The Orioles were not swept three straight by any American League East team last year but Toronto completed a three-game sweep tonight. The Jays were the last AL East team to sweep three from the Orioles, with that happening from June 21-23, 2013.

In going 5-1 against the Orioles, the Blue Jays have scored 47 runs for an average of 7.8 per game.

Trailing by five runs heading to the top of the ninth, the Orioles didn't go quietly. Three singles, the last by Travis Snider, produced a run off Liam Hendriks to make it a 7-3 game. Then closer Miguel Castro came on and Manny Machado greeted him with a three-run blast to left. It was Machado's second homer of the night and made it a 7-6 game. But Castro struck out Ryan Lavarnway to end it and the Orioles' four-run rally in the ninth came up a run short.

Chris Tillman gave up seven runs for the second time this year against Toronto. He went 4 1/3 innings, allowing five hits and seven runs (all earned) with five walks, three strikeouts and a homer. Tillman is now 2-2 with an ERA of 7.58.

Josh Donaldson hit a two-run homer in Toronto's three-run third and Kevin Pillar had a two-run double in a three-run fourth.

In two starts in 2015 against Toronto, Tillman has pitched seven innings, allowing 12 hits and 14 runs with eight walks and three homers allowed.

In the six games this year, O's starters have been battered by Toronto. Over 24 1/3 innings, they have allowed 32 hits and 35 runs.

Meanwhile, Toronto starter Drew Hutchison, who had allowed 12 runs over nine innings his last two starts, had a perfect game through five tonight. He retired the first 15 Orioles on just 56 pitches.

But Machado led off the sixth with his second homer of the year, hitting the first pitch out to left. An inning later Adam Jones led off with a double and later scored on Snider's fielder's choice grouder. Hutchison allowed four hits over eight innings on 100 pitches to get the win, improving to 2-0 with a 5.48 ERA.

Jones went 2-for-4 tonight with a single and double and is batting .424. Against Toronto he is 11-for-21 for the season. Chris Davis went 0-for-4 for four strikeouts and has fanned 26 times in 56 at-bats.

The Orioles head home to begin a nine-game homestand at Camden Yards on Friday night when Miguel Gonzalez (2-1, 2.55 ERA) pitches against right-hander Rick Porcello (1-2, 6.63 ERA).