Delgado's Two HRs Lift Jays

Chris Carpenter took Pat Hentgen's advice to heart.

Carpenter

Carpenter (5-3), who allowed seven runs in 2 1-3 innings in his last start Saturday against Atlanta, walked two and struck out three in his second shutout of his career.

"The Atlanta game was an embarrassing day. But Pat Hentgen told me after the game that everybody has them, he said it probably won't be your last one, and he told me the bottom line was that I had to concentrate on my next start," the 23-year-old right-hander said. "I tried not to dwell on it. I started focusing on what I needed to correct from that day and that's what I did."

Delgado went 3-for-4 with a three-run homer in the sixth, a solo shot in the eighth and an RBI double in the first to tie his career high in RBIs. Delgado's second multi-homer game of the season and seventh of his career gave him 17 homers on the season.

Delgado also saved two runs in the second on a diving stop of a grounder by Wade Boggs with two outs and runners on second and third.

"When I'm hittig, I'm hitting, and when I play defense I want to be the best defensive first baseman I can be," Delgado said. "I've been working a lot and finally it's paying off, but I realize I have a long ways to go still."

Tony Fernandez passed Lloyd Moseby for the most hits in Blue Jays history with a single to right in the first. Fernandez tipped his helmet as the fans gave him a standing ovation after his 1,320th hit as a Blue Jay.

After Fernandez's single, Delgado followed with an RBI double off Dennis Springer (2-11) to give the Blue Jays a 1-0 lead. RBI singles by Darrin Fletcher in the third and Ed Sprague in the fifth made it 3-0.

Springer is winless in his last eight starts since beating Seattle on May 30. The knuckleballer gave up four runs, seven hits and four walks in five-plus innings.

Springer left the game after hitting Shannon Stewart with a pitch to lead off the sixth. Matt Ruebel came in and walked Shawn Green and one out later allowed a 435-foot shot to right by Delgado.

Sprague hit a solo shot in the seventh and Delgado homered off Roberto Hernandez in the eighth to close the scoring.

Quinton McCracken, who went 0-for-4, was impressed with Carpenter.

"He was around the plate all night," McCracken said. "He mixes his pitches up well. He's got an excellent changeup and he compliments it with an excellent fastball. He makes your work tough."

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