Lind hits grand slam as Blue Jays rout Angels 11-2
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Adam Lind hit a grand slam, Edwin Encarnacion and Mark Teahen also went deep and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Los Angeles Angels 11-2 on Saturday.
All three homers came off Angels ace Jered Weaver, who allowed eight runs and eight hits, both season highs, in 4 2-3 innings, his shortest outing of the year.
The right-hander, who had won eight of his previous nine decisions, saw his AL-leading ERA rise from 1.78 to 2.13.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Weaver (14-6) was pitching for the first time since Aug. 5 after serving a six-game suspension for throwing over the head of Detroit's Alex Avila in a July 31 loss. The Angels ace originally appealed the suspension, but decided last Saturday to serve his punishment in full.
Riding a streak of 15 consecutive quality starts, Weaver was in trouble from the get-go against Toronto, surrendering a two-run shot to Encarnacion in the first, the 10th homer of the season for the Blue Jays infielder.
Toronto added one more in the second on back-to-back doubles by Rajai Davis and John McDonald, then blew it open with a five-run fifth.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Yunel Escobar hit a one-out double before walks to Eric Thames and Encarnacion loaded the bases for Lind, who drove Weaver's first pitch over the wall in right for his 20th homer and third career grand slam. One out later, Teahen chased Weaver with a solo drive to right, his fourth.
The slumping Lind had collected just eight hits in his previous 58 at-bats before the grand slam. He went deep for the first time since July 26 against Baltimore.
The beneficiary of Toronto's offensive outburst was Ricky Romero, who won his fourth straight start for the second time in his career. The left-hander allowed one run and two hits in seven innings. He walked two and struck out three.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Romero (11-9), who also won four straight in his 2009 rookie season, has an ERA of 1.15 over his past four outings and has allowed just 11 hits in 31 1-3 innings in that span.
The lone Angels run against Romero came on a leadoff homer by Alberto Callaspo in the fifth.
The Blue Jays piled on with three more in the sixth against reliever Joel Pineiro. McDonald singled and went to third when shortstop Andrew Romine made a throwing error on a potential double-play grounder. Thames walked to load the bases for Encarnacion, who drove in a run with a sharp infield single to third. Lind followed with a sacrifice fly and J.P. Arencibia capped it with an RBI single to center.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Trever Miller worked a scoreless eighth and Luis Perez gave up a sacrifice fly to Mark Trumbo in the ninth.
NOTES: Toronto OF Jose Bautista, OF Colby Rasmus and 2B Aaron Hill were all held out of the starting lineup. ... OF Bobby Abreu and SS Erick Aybar did not start for the Angels. ... Blue Jays LHP Brett Cecil (4-5) faces Angels RHP Dan Haren (12-6) in Sunday's series finale.