Orioles missed chances early (Mancini hits three-run shot, O's lead 6-0)

TORONTO - At one time this year, the Orioles as a team had a batting average that was in the high .300s when batting with runners in scoring position. They were leading the American League in that stat. They entered today's series finale in second, at .313.

That had to come back down to earth, and it has the last few games here at Rogers Centre. The Orioles have had some missed chances on offense early on today, as the clubs are tied 0-0 in the fourth.

The Orioles went 0-for-3 in the first three innings today with runners in scoring position. That followed a 1-for-6 Friday and an 0-for-8 with RISP Saturday. The easy math says that's 1-for-17 the past three games.

Adam Jones reached on a throwing error in the first and advanced to third on Mark Trumbo's double to left. But Chris Davis flied out to end that threat. In the third, Trumbo struck out on a high fastball to strand two more runners. Toronto lefty J.A. Happ was at 45 pitches through three.

O's right-hander Dylan Bundy, who held Toronto to one run over seven innings on April 5, has blanked them through three today. Bundy enters this outing with a career mark of 2-0 and an ERA of 0.77 in his career versus the Blue Jays. This year he is 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA through two starts.

He pitched out a first-and-third, no-outs jam in the last of the first this afternoon. He struck out Jose Bautista, who is batting .150, on a slider and then got Kendrys Morales to bounce into an inning-ending double play. It was quite an escape act to start the game by Bundy.

The Orioles begin today at 7-3 and atop the AL East. They are 3-2 on this road trip, which heads to Cincinnati after today's game.

Happ out of game: Happ threw a 92 mph fastball to Adam Jones today with one on and one out in the top of the fifth. He did a quick short hop right after the pitch, and Toronto manager John Gibbons rushed out to the mound with the trainer. Happ walked off with an apparent injury. We await further word.

The O's went on to take a 1-0 lead against reliever Joe Biagini and the run was charged to Happ, who had allowed a leadoff double to J.J. Hardy. Jones singled to right off Biagini and Hardy stopped at third. Jones rounded the bag heading for second. The Blue Jays got him in a rundown and Hardy charged home while Toronto retired Jones 9-3-6-4. No RBI, but a run and the lead for the Orioles.

Mancini mashes one: Trey Mancini hit another homer. His line shot into the second deck in left field off Ryan Tepera in the sixth gives the Orioles a 4-0 lead. Mancini has hit three homers over his last three games. He now has six home runs in 12 career major league games over 34 at-bats.

The O's added two more runs in that inning on Hardy's RBI double and Craig Gentry's sac fly. They've staked Bundy to a 6-0 lead.

Bundy's day: Bundy pitched six scoreless today, and then Stefan Crichton came on in the seventh for his major league debut. Bundy allowed five hits with one walk and six strikeouts. He has an ERA of 1.86 through three starts.

Crichton allowed two singles to start the seventh - one off the top of the right-field wall - but minimized the damage of a first-and-third, no-outs threat. He gave up three hits and one run in the inning.