Music: {allcanada} BLUE JAYS TAG EVELAND AND SIMON, DEFEAT ORIOLES

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

{allcanada} BLUE JAYS TAG EVELAND AND SIMON, DEFEAT ORIOLES

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- The Toronto Blue Jays had their way with the Baltimore Orioles' pitching staff.

Dana Eveland allowed three runs and six hits in four innings, and Alfredo Simon got roughed up, too, in the Blue Jays' 9-3 victory over the Orioles on Wednesday.

Eveland gave up two runs on Eric Thames' fourth-inning double to right that gave the Blue Jays the lead for good. Toronto jumped on Simon for six runs in the next two innings.

"An OK day," Eveland said. "My stuff was pretty decent. I just made some bad pitches in bad situations, mostly the pitch to Thames. Completely wrong side of the plate. It was supposed to be a fastball down and away. It ended up being a fastball down and in, and he's a pull hitter.

"I don't throw it hard enough throw it by somebody, so I've got to hit my spots a little better than that."

Eveland hopes to be a starter, but doesn't expect that to happen.

"Honestly, I can't see that I would fit into the rotation, considering this is only my third start of spring and the first time really getting extended," he said. "But if I can slide into the long-man (relief) job, or the lefty guy in the pen, that'd be great."

Simon, pitching for the first time in 10 days since leaving a game with a pulled groin, gave up three runs on two hits in the fifth, one scoring on a wild pitch. He yielded three more runs in the fourth on four hits, including Chris Woodward's double.

Ryan Flaherty's two-run single put the Orioles on top 2-1 in the third.

J.C. Arencibia had two hits for Toronto. Jason Esposito had two hits for the Orioles.