TORONTO (AP) Eric DuBose became the latest inexperienced starter to shut down the struggling Blue Jays.
DuBose, B.J. Ryan and Buddy Groom combined on a four-hitter, pitching the Baltimore Orioles past Toronto 7-0 Sunday for their fourth straight victory.
Miguel Tejada had four hits and Jay Gibbons hit a two-run double for the Orioles, who swept the three-game series - their first sweep at SkyDome in 10 years.
They did it by dominating Toronto's offense, allowing just 12 hits while outscoring the Blue Jays 23-5.
DuBose (1-2) gave up three hits - all singles - while striking out five and walking one in seven innings.
Baltimore rookie Matt Riley won Friday night by allowing just two runs in five innings, and second-year starter Kurt Ainsworth pitched seven strong innings Saturday.
"We have the stuff to pitch here," said DuBose, also a second-year starter. "This is a big series for the three of us. We came in here and pitched to our abilities. Riley threw a great game to set the pace, and then Ainsworth followed that ... and I came out here and pitched the way I wanted to pitch."
Ryan worked the eighth and Groom the ninth to complete Baltimore's first shutout of the season.
Toronto fell to 0-6 at home and 3-9 overall, matching the worst start in club history.
"It's definitely frustrating and disappointing because we left camp with high expectations," slugger Carlos Delgado said. "We felt like we really improved our club over the offseason."
The Blue Jays, off to their worst home start ever, have been outscored 43-11 at SkyDome.
Delgado is in a 0-for-15 slump, dropping his average to .119. Four other starters are also hitting below .200.
"Everybody is just struggling right now," Delgado said.
Inexperienced Detroit starters Jeremy Bonderman, Mike Maroth and Nate Robertson also beat the Blue Jays this year.
Blue Jays starter Pat Hentgen (0-2) took the loss, but looked sharp against his former team, allowing three runs - two earned - and six hits in seven innings. Hentgen pitched for the Orioles from 2001-03, but signed with the Blue Jays in the offseason.
He thinks his new team will turn it around.
"You've got guys with proven track records here. If you look on their card, and look at the stats, you're going to see consistency," Hentgen said. "We just have to let the season play out. It's early."
Javy Lopez added an RBI single in the ninth to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 14 games.
Tejada's RBI single and Rafael Palmeiro's sacrifice fly gave Baltimore a 2-0 lead in the sixth.
Larry Bigbie hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh. Gibbons' two-run double and Luis Matos' RBI single made it 6-0 in the eighth.
Notes: Baltimore's last sweep in Toronto was June 24-26, 1994. ... The Orioles won just one of their previous 16 series against the Blue Jays (1-13-2), including six sweeps by Toronto. ... The Blue Jays also started 3-9 in 1978 and '81. ... Director Ron Howard sat behind home plate. ... The Orioles have won five of six overall.
