Music: {allcanada} CABRERA HAS THREE HITS LEADING JAYS TO VICTORY OVER BRAVES

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

{allcanada} CABRERA HAS THREE HITS LEADING JAYS TO VICTORY OVER BRAVES

ATLANTA -- Melky Cabrera had three hits, including a two-run single, and four Toronto pitchers combined on a four-hitter to lead the Blue Jays past the Atlanta Braves, 3-0 on Wednesday night.

Last-place Toronto went with a pitcher-by-committee approach to fill a hole in the rotation. Esmil Rogers lasted 3 1-3 innings in his first start since 2011, and two pitchers just up from the minors shut down the Braves. Juan Perez (1-0) went 2 2-3 innings, Neil Wagner got through the seventh and eighth, and Casey Janssen earned his 11th save with a 1-2-3 ninth.

Meanwhile, Atlanta starter Kris Medlen (1-6) took a liner off the left leg in the second and didn't return the next inning because of a contusion to his upper calf. He is expected to make his next start.

Cabrera led off the game with a single and wound up scoring Toronto's first run on a fielder's choice grounder by J.P. Arencibia. With one out in the second, Emilio Bonifacio lined one off the back of Medlen's leg, reaching on the infield single. The Braves trainer came out, and Medlen walked gingerly around the mound before deciding to stay in the game.

That might've been a mistake. Munenori Kawasaki walked, Rogers bunted the runners over and Cabrera singled to left to drive in two more runs. Medlen finished the frame but didn't return, having allowed four hits, a walk and all three Toronto runs in the shortest start of his career.

Rogers had pitched 22 games in relief for the Blue Jays this season. He gave them just what they wanted, surrendering three hits and two walks before manager John Gibbons lifted the right-hander in the fourth with two runners aboard.

Perez escaped the jam by retiring Juan Francisco on a popup, then striking out B.J. Upton, who has grown so frustrated during a season-long slump that he slung his bat into the dirt and slammed down his helmet with both hands, bouncing it high in the air.

Upton had plenty of company. Younger brother Justin fanned three times and the Braves finished with 11 strikeouts on the night, the 24th time in 52 games they've reached double figures in that category. Appropriately, Brian McCann whiffed to end the game.

The 34-year-old Perez earned his second win in the big leagues, the first coming on July 8, 2011, with Philadelphia. He was called up from Triple-A Buffalo before the game as the Blue Jays made a flurry of moves to deal with their injury-plagued pitching.

After Medlen departed, four Atlanta relievers shut down Toronto the rest of the way. But it didn't matter on an otherwise grim night for the home team, which made two errors and squandered a sure double play when Andrelton Simmons dropped a line drive, though he was able to throw out the hitter at first.

Notes: Rogers' most recent start came with the Colorado Rockies in 2011. ... The Blue Jays left 10 runners on base. ... B.J. Upton's average dropped to .146 -- one of three Atlanta regular hitting below .200. He is joined by Jason Heyward (.152) and Dan Uggla (.186). ... The Braves activated RHP Jordan Walden off the disabled list before the game and optioned RHP Cory Rasmus to Triple-A Gwinnett.