Blue Jays 9, Orioles 3: Brett Lawrie and Melky Cabrera hit three-run homers in a big eighth inning as host Toronto won the opener of a three-game series with struggling Baltimore.

With the game tied 3-3, Lawrie drilled a 1-1 offering from Orioles reliever Evan Meek (0-1) over the center-field wall and Cabrera added some insurance with a three-run blast to right as Toronto prevailed for the third time in four games. Edwin Encarnacion added a three-run shot while Steve Delabar (2-0) earned the win with a scoreless eighth.

Nelson Cruz had a three-run homer for the Orioles, who have lost three of four. Stephen Lombardozzi recorded three hits and Steve Clevenger contributed two while Nick Markakis went 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored.

With both starters exchanging zeroes through the first five innings, Blue Jays knuckleballer R.A. Dickey finally ran into trouble in the sixth. Lombardozzi hit a bloop double, Markakis walked and Cruz followed by smashing a 1-1 pitch over the wall in left-center field for his fourth homer.

Toronto responded in the bottom half on Encarnacion's three-run blast to center field, his first home run of the season. Blue Jays reliever Brett Cecil preserved the tie in the seventh, escaping a bases-loaded, one-out situation by striking out Adam Jones and Clevenger.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Orioles starter Miguel Gonzalez was charged with three runs - two earned - on four hits while fanning seven over 5 2/3 innings. Dickey surrendered three runs on six hits over six frames. ... Cruz has at least one RBI (nine total) in five straight games and leads the club with 16. ... Baltimore 1B Chris Davis went 0-for-4 and is mired in a 1-for-16 slump.