BALTIMORE -- Michael Saunders set career highs with three homers and eight RBIs, and the Toronto Blue Jays clubbed the Baltimore Orioles 13-3 in the opener of a three-game series on Friday night.

Justin Smoak had a two-run homer and Josh Donaldson added a solo shot and a two-run triple for the Blue Jays, who won their fourth straight to pull within one game of the American League-East leading Orioles.

Saunders hit three-run shots in the first and fourth innings and added a two-run homer, his 15th home run of the season, in the sixth.

Toronto's explosion came minus Jose Bautista, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained left big toe suffered Thursday in Philadelphia.

Winning pitcher Aaron Sanchez (7-1) struggled early but allowed just two runs and seven hits in six innings.

Toronto pitchers retired 17 straight Orioles at one point.

After Saunders completed the 'hat trick,' Blue Jays fans along the third base line tossed their hats onto the field in tribute to him.

The 29-year-old flied to left in the third and grounded into a double play in the eighth.

Mike Wright (3-4) turned in his shortest start of the season after he was battered for eight runs and six hits before being pulled with two outs in Toronto's seven-run fourth.

Ubaldo Jimenez came on in his first relief stint of the season and allowed five runs in 2 1/3 innings.

Ryan Flaherty homered and doubled for Baltimore.

Wright threw 37 pitches in the first inning as the Blue Jays tagged him for three runs.

After Donaldson worked a one-out walk and went to third on Juan Encarnacion's single to the wall in right, Saunders then lined a 2-2 fastball that carried over the wall in left center to make it 3-0.

The Orioles responded with three straight singles in their half of the first, with Manny Machado's hit pulling Baltimore within 3-1.

After a walk to Chris Davis loaded the bases with no outs, Sanchez fanned Mark Trumbo and Pedro Alvarez before Jonathan Schoop grounded out.

With one out in the third, Donaldson made it 4-1 as he sent the first pitch he saw into the Orioles' bullpen for his 17th home run of the season.

Baltimore scored one in the third but left two men on after an inning-ending double play and the Blue Jays broke it open in the fourth.

Smoak's two-run homer made it 6-2. Wright was done soon after, but Donaldson greeted reliever Jimenez with a two-run triple and -- after a walk -- Saunders struck again to the opposite field, lofting a fly ball just beyond the fence in left for his 14th home run of the year.

NOTES: Blue Jays RF Jose Bautista was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained left big toe. He suffered the injury on Thursday when he collided with the outfield wall in Philadelphia. In a corresponding move, Toronto recalled OF Darrell Ceciliani from Triple-A Buffalo. ... Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said SS Troy Tulowitzki (quad strain) could return from his injury this weekend. ... Baltimore SS J.J. Hardy (broken left foot) worked out on the field before the game and manager Buck Showalter said that he could be activated this weekend. ... Orioles C Caleb Joseph (testicular injury), who has not been cleared to play behind the plate, began a rehab assignment at Single-A Frederick serving as the DH. ... The Orioles announced that they have signed RHP Cody Sedlock from the University of Illinois. Sedlock is their first-round pick in the 2016 First-Year Player Draft.