Scutaro, Zaun key Blue Jays' offence in win
Belt home runs in 7-2 win to cap 1st ever 4-game series sweep of Royals
Last Updated: Monday, May 26, 2008 | 5:41 PM ET
CBC Sports
Blue Jays' Brad Wilkerson congratulates Marco Scutaro on his solo home run in the sixth inning. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)Marco Scutaro will be sporting a wide smile and carrying a hot bat back to Oakland this week to face his former Athletics teammates.
The Toronto Blue Jays' shortstop homered, scored two runs and stole a base in his team's 7-2 victory over the visiting Kansas City Royals on Monday afternoon.
With their fifth straight win that matches a season high, the Jays completed their first-ever four-game sweep of the winless-in-eight Royals and won five of seven games on their homestand.
Toronto, which also improved its record to 28-25, outscored Kansas City 23-4 in the four games after entering the series second last in the American League in runs per game this season (3.78).
"We're playing as a team right now," said Scutaro. "The pitching is good, we're scoring some runs, that's what it's all about. Especially with the pitching staff we have, if you score a couple of runs early, you know they're going to keep the game close."
Scutaro, who was acquired from Oakland in a trade last November, has filled in admirably for the injured David Eckstein and John McDonald.
Prized for his defensive versatility — Scutaro can play second base, third and shortstop — the 32-year-old is starring with the bat.
Including Monday's performance, he has hit safely in seven of his last 10 games and is 11-for-35 (.314) with eight runs batted in over the past 11 games.
The A's, who missed the playoffs in 2007 after reaching the AL Championship Series the year before, valued Scutaro's contributions but wanted to give youngster Donnie Murphy a chance to be a utility infielder.
Scutaro will enter the three-game series in Oakland on Tuesday with a .263 season batting average, two home runs and 17 RBI in 43 games, while Murphy is hitting .200 in 55 at-bats with two dingers and six RBIs.
After the top and middle of Toronto's batting order shone in the first three games against Kansas City, it was time for the bottom third — Scutaro, outfielder Brad Wilkerson and catcher Gregg Zaun — to step up in the series finale.
Wilkerson's sacrifice fly in the second inning gave the Blue Jays a 2-0 lead and preceded Zaun's two-run homer off Royals starter Brett Tomko (2-6) to highlight the four-run frame.
Scutaro's solo blast made it 6-0, giving right-handed starter Shaun Marcum more than enough support en route to his fifth win of the season against three defeats.
Marcum settles down
A wilder-than-usual Marcum battled through his self-inflicted troubles to allow just the two runs (one earned) on five hits, a walk and three hit batters. But thanks to an early cushion from the offence, this one was never in doubt.
Alex Rios added two hits, drove in a pair and added his 11th stolen base for the Blue Jays. He also came up big in the field, preventing the Royals (21-30) from causing further damage in the eighth inning when he threw out Billy Butler at home plate trying to score on Canadian Mark Teahen's single up the middle. Rios also nailed Jose Guillen at home in Sunday's 3-1 win.
"We knew we were going to pitch, that was a given. We probably expected a little more power, but that's starting to come, we think that will come, and we knew we could play some defence," said Toronto manager John Gibbons. "We got off to that slow start, but we picked it up and we're playing good right now."
Tuesday's series opener in Oakland starts at 7:07 p.m. PT. Toronto will also play a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees to wrap up a nine-game, 10-day road trip.
"You go to Oakland, the pitching is very good, Anaheim is the same way," said Gibbons, whose club is 2-7 this season against the A's, Angels and Yankees. "They're the top two teams in the West, then of course you go to New York where it's always tough to play and they're starting to pick it up.
"It won't be easy, that's for sure."
On the injury front:
- Eckstein (hip flexor) was to fly to Oakland on Monday to join the Blue Jays. He will be activated from the disabled list before Tuesday's game.
- Infielder Joe Inglett left Monday's contest in the eighth inning with a tight quad.
- Centre-fielder Vernon Wells (broken right wrist) and McDonald (sprained ankle) both left for Dunedin, Fla., on Monday to begin rehab assignments.
