Braden Allows 5 Runs In Season Debut, A's Lose To Blue Jays

TORONTO (CBS / AP) -- Travis Snider hit a three-run home run, Yunel Escobar had three hits before leaving with an injury and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Oakland Athletics 5-3 on Wednesday night.

Jesse Litsch pitched 6 1-3 for his first win since July 20 and Jon Rauch got two outs for his first save as the Blue Jays won for the eighth time in 11 games against the Athletics.

Starting for the first time since Aug. 1, 2010, Litsch allowed three runs and six hits, walked two and struck out a career-high seven. Litsch missed the end of last season after undergoing hip surgery.

Oakland, which came in with a major league high nine errors through four games, didn't make another miscue but did misplay two balls. Toronto's Yunel Escobar was involved both times, picking up a single after third baseman Andy LaRoche couldn't handle his grounder in the first, and a triple on a ball that eluded right fielder David DeJesus in the fifth.

Escobar was shaken up after sliding face first into LaRoche's leg on his triple, laying on the ground and being tended to by the trainer before getting up. Escobar ran the bases and played defense in the sixth but was replaced by John McDonald in the seventh after complaining of dizziness.

Adam Lind's RBI double in the first gave Toronto an early lead, but Oakland's Hideki Matsui answered with a two-run double in the fourth.

After Juan Rivera walked and Edwin Encarnacion singled, Snider restored Toronto's advantage with a booming drive to right in the bottom half, his first.

The Athletics got one back in the fifth when Coco Crisp hit a two-out triple and scored on Daric Barton's single.

Toronto chased Oakland starter Dallas Braden (0-1) in the eighth when McDonald led off with an infield single and Lind followed with a ground-rule double. Brad Ziegler came on and gave up an RBI single to Aaron Hill but escaped further damage by striking out Rivera and getting Encarnacion to ground into a double play.

Braden allowed 10 hits and five runs in seven-plus innings. He walked one and struck out three.

NOTES: Oakland placed RHP Michael Wuertz (strained left hamstring) on the 15-day DL and recalled RHP Tyler Ross from Triple-A Sacramento ... Athletics 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff, who made an error and misplayed two balls in Tuesday's loss, was held out of the starting lineup but pinch hit in the seventh. ... Oakland RHP Rich Harden (right shoulder) will throw a bullpen session Thursday.

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