Jeremy Guthrie threw seven shutout innings for the first time all season as the Baltimore Orioles blanked the Toronto Blue Jays 2-0 on Friday night for their third consecutive victory.

Guthrie (7-17) continued his mastery of the Blue Jays, scattering three hits to avoid becoming the first 18-game loser in the major leagues. The veteran righthander has allowed zero runs in just three starts this season, but two of those outings have come against Toronto.

Vladimir Guerrero gave Guthrie all the offense he would need with an RBI single in the sixth inning off losing pitcher Brett Cecil (4-9). Guerrero finished with a pair of hits and is batting a sizzling 9-for-19 over his last five games.

Nick Markakis added two hits and a run-scoring groundout in the eighth inning that provided the Orioles with some insurance.

Cecil was the hard-luck loser, limiting the Orioles to seven hits over 7 2/3 innings while striking out a season-high nine batters. The lefty is 0-5 in his last eight starts.