Grand Win For Jays

Jason Johnson was Toronto's SkyDome victim.

Darrin Fletcher hit a grand slam in the fourth inning as the Blue Jays beat the Baltimore Orioles for the 11th straight time, 6-5 Monday night.

"This is just an absolute hitters' park," Johnson said. "There is no doubt about that. When you're behind 2-0, it doesn't matter who is at-bat, they are going to swing as hard as they can."

Tony Batista also homered for the Blue Jays, who have hit 48 homers in 19 home games and are on pace to finish with 207, which would shatter the major league home record of 149 set by Colorado at Coors Field in 1996.

"I got good stuff, but for some reason I keep going 2-0 or 3-0 on people," he said. "That's not going to get the job done."

Fletcher's fifth career slam gave Toronto a 6-2 lead. After Johnson (0-2) loaded the bases in the fourth inning on singles by Carlos Delgado and Batista and a walk to Brad Fullmer, Fletcher homered to right center.

Batista's two-run shot in the second had put the Blue Jays ahead 2-0. Five of Fletcher's six home runs, and seven of Batista's nine homers have come at SkyDome.

Fletcher believes there are myriad of reasons for all the home runs.

"I'm not going to excuse it away by saying there is a harder ball or bat pitching," Fletcher said. "We've got mashers on our team."

Baltimore has lost five of six overall, and 12 straight in Toronto. The Orioles closed to 6-5 in he eighth on RBI singles by Mike Burdock and Albert Belle, but Billy Koch got three outs, striking out Bordick to end the game with a runner on second. Bordick was 3-for-4.

Kelvim Escobar (3-4) gave up five runs and 12 hits, and four walks in seven innings.

Charles Johnson's two-run double tied the score in the fourth.

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