Jays Jolt Orioles in Steib's Return

Toronto's big lead enabled Dave Stieb to make a pressure-free return to the majors, although the 40-year-old pitcher was still jittery during his first appearance in five years.

Alex Gonzalez had three hits and a homer and Stieb pitched a scoreless ninth inning Thursday night in the Blue Jays' 13-6 rout of the Baltimore Orioles.

Shannon Stewart and Shawn Green also had three hits for the Blue Jays, whose reached a season high with 18 hits and ended a three-game losing streak. Toronto got a hit in every inning but the ninth.

Stieb, who spent the past three months pitching in the minor leagues, allowed three hits but no runs. It was his first outing in the majors since May 22, 1993, with the White Sox.

"Just nervous, waiting to get through it and get it over with. Hopefully, it's the beginning of the second part," said Stieb, the winningest pitcher in Toronto history. "It was ugly. I was by no means sharp. ... I was just trying to throw strikes, not paint the corners."

Toronto manager Tim Johnson said, "I'm just glad to get him in a situation like this. All the newness is now gone. I just wanted to get him in there."

The final out came on a fly ball by Lenny Webster.

"Same old Stieb. Lots of sliders," Webster said. "His slider wasn't as good as it used to be, but it was good enough. I admire him. He probably missed the game and didn't finish the way he wanted to."

Toronto starter Chris Carpenter (3-2) allowed six runs and nine hits in seven-plus innings. The only batter to reach against the right-hander over the first five innings was Harold Baines, who singled in the second.

Baines went 4-for-5 and had a season-high four RBIs, but it wasn't nearly enough offense to overcome a shoddy pitching performance by the Orioles.

"We've just got to pitch better," Orioles manager Ray Miller said. "That's been the story since May 1."

Stewart scored on a passed ball and Carlos Delgado hit a sacrifice fly to give the Blue Jays a 2-0 first-inning lead. Toronto added a run in the third when Gonzalez doubled and scored on a wild pitch by Doug Johns (2-2).

The Blue Jays went up 5-0 in the fifth. After Stewart drove in a run with a ground-rule double a grounder inside the third-base line that was mistakingly picked up by the ball girl in left field

Delgado chased Johns with an RBI double.

Run-scoring singles by Stewart and Green made it 7-0 in the sixth. Baines hit a two-run single in the Orioles' half, but a two-run homer by Gonzalez capped a five-run seventh inning against Norm Charlton.

Cal Ripken made an error in the inning, halting Baltimore's bid to tie a team record with 13 consecutive errorless games. The Orioles are 0-8 when allowing an unearned run.

Mike Stanly homered off Armando Benitez in the Toronto eighth.

Notes: Jose Canseco stole his 20th base, marking the third time he's stolen 20 and hit 20 homers in a season. He missed the previous two games because of back spasms. ... Gonzalez is 13-for-25 over his last seven games. ... The 18 hits were the most against the Orioles this season.

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