Rookie Bergesen earns 6th win, Roberts stars at plate as Orioles beat skidding Blue Jays 4-2

Bergesen, Roberts lead Orioles past Blue Jays 4-2

BALTIMORE — Brad Bergesen took a shutout into the seventh inning, Brian Roberts had two RBIs and the Baltimore Orioles beat Toronto 4-2 Sunday to end a miserable road trip for the Blue Jays.

Oscar Salazar homered and Roberts also scored a run for the Orioles, who took two of three from Toronto. Baltimore has won six of its last nine series and trails the fourth-place Blue Jays by only three games in the AL East.

Toronto has lost 12 of 15 and went 2-8 on a swing through Yankee Stadium, Tampa Bay and Baltimore. Each of those 10 road games were decided by two runs or fewer.

Bergesen (6-3) gave up two runs and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings. The rookie took a 3-0 lead into the seventh, but was pulled after the Blue Jays used three hits and a sacrifice fly to get within a run.

Danys Baez got the final out in the seventh, Jim Johnson worked the eighth and George Sherrill retired three straight to earn his 20th save.

Bergesen outpitched fellow rookie Marc Rzepczynski (0-1), who allowed three runs and five hits over six innings in his second major league start.

After Vernon Wells popped out with the bases loaded to end the Toronto third, Baltimore took a 2-0 lead in the bottom half when Roberts doubled in a run and scored on Nick Markakis’ single.

Salazar’s second homer of the season made it 3-0 in the sixth. Rzepczynski has surrendered only two homers in 100 innings this year, including his time in the minor leagues.

The Blue Jays got an RBI double from David Dellucci and a sacrifice fly by Marco Scutaro in the seventh. In the bottom half, Roberts singled in an unearned run after a throwing error by Scutaro at shortstop.

NOTES: Home plate umpire Ron Kulpa left in the third inning after being struck in the mask by a foul ball. Dale Scott took over at home as part of a three-man crew. … Dellucci was 0 for 19 with Toronto before his double in the seventh. … Toronto had four doubles to increase its major league-leading total to 200.