Baltimore Orioles

Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy drove in two runs Saturday against the Blue Jays.

Hardy singled in two runs in the first inning and finished 2 for 4 with a run scored and two RBI in a 6-5 victory. He is hitting .313 (25 for 80) with six home runs and 16 RBI in his last 20 games played.

Orioles infielder Danny Valencia continued to hit well Saturday, homering for the second game in a row against the Blue Jays.

Valencia had a two-run shot off starter R.A. Dickey in the third inning of a 6-5 loss. He finished 1 for 3 with a walk, two RBI and a run scored.

Valencia is hitting .313 with at least a hit in his first four games. He has driven in four runs and scored three, with four extra-base hits. 

Orioles closer Jim Johnson entered Saturday against the Blue Jays having gone four appearances and more than two weeks without a save. But he had no problem getting back on track with a scoreless ninth in a 6-5 win.

Johnson needed 14 pitches to end the outing, striking out one. He earned his 15th save in 18 opportunities and lowered his ERA to 3.86. 

Orioles starting pitcher Freddy Garcia was not particularly efficient Saturday against the Blue Jays, but he pitched well enough to earn his first win of the season, thanks to some early offense.

Garcia needed 103 pitches to finish five innings as the Blue Jays racked up nine hits off him. But he was able to scatter those hits to allow just three runs -- two earned.

The Orioles staked Garcia to a 3-0 lead in the first inningof the 6-5 win. Garcia (1-2) has a 4.61 ERA in five starts and next faces the Nationals Thursday. 

The Orioles placed reliever Pedro Strop on the 15-day disabled list Saturday, with a lower back strain. Steve Johnson was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to take his place in the bullpen.

Strop has allowed runs in each of his last two outings, raising his ERA for the season to 6.11. It is not clear how long he has been dealing with this injury.