TORONTO (AP) - Ricky Romero pitched seven sharp innings to help the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Oakland Athletics 1-0 on Sunday.
Romero (2-0) struck out a career-high six, allowed four hits and walked two, lowering his ERA to 1.71. Scott Downs worked a perfect eighth and B.J. Ryan finished for his second save in three chances.
Lyle Overbay singled in Kevin Millar in the second inning for the only run of the game.
Dallas Braden (1-2) gave up one run and five hits in a career-high 7 1-3 innings for Oakland.
The A’s nearly tied it in the third but Mark Ellis was thrown out at the plate trying to score from first on Ryan Sweeney’s double to right-center. Vernon Wells threw to second baseman Aaron Hill, whose relay to catcher Raul Chavez arrived well ahead of Ellis.
Oakland third baseman Eric Chavez returned to the lineup after missing five games with a sore right shoulder. Chavez batted sixth and went 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
Ryan struggled with his velocity during spring training and got off to a rough start this season, blowing a save against Detroit on April 7 and yielding three runs in the ninth inning of a 5-4 victory at Cleveland on April 11. He earned his first save at Minnesota last Monday and pitched a scoreless inning against Oakland on Saturday.
He looked comfortable again Sunday, pitching around a Matt Holliday single to close it out.
Millar walked, moved up on a wild pitch and scored on Overbay’s single to center in the second.
Notes:@ Toronto SS Marco Scutaro made a diving catch on Jack Cust’s liner in the second. … Every Toronto batter reached base once except left fielder Travis Snider. … The Blue Jays have won eight of their past nine games against the Athletics. … Oakland INF Nomar Garciaparra (right calf) sat for the second day in a row and has missed three of the past four games. … Oakland starters are a combined 1-5 this season.
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