TORONTO – Brian Burres pitched seven shutout innings to win for the first time since July 28, leading the Baltimore Orioles to a 6-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night.

Brian Roberts homered for Baltimore, which won back-to-back games for the first time since Aug. 14-15 and came within three outs of recording consecutive shutouts for the first time this season.

The loss, Toronto’s sixth in seven games, eliminated the Blue Jays from contention in the AL East. Toronto has scored 17 runs in its past seven games.

Starting for the first time since Aug. 4 at Tampa Bay, Burres (6-5) scattered eight hits, walked none and struck out four. It’s the first time in 14 starts this season Burres has not walked a batter.

The left-hander had made 12 relief appearances since his last start, allowing 23 runs in 18 innings.

Jim Hoey worked a perfect eighth and Jamie Walker closed it out in the ninth despite giving up solo homers to Aaron Hill and Hector Luna.

Orioles left fielder Jay Payton recorded an unassisted double play to end the fifth inning. With Vernon Wells at second and Reed Johnson at first, the Blue Jays tried to hit and run. Alex Rios lined out sharply to Payton, who jogged in to second to double off Wells, who had no chance to get back to the base.

It was the first unassisted double play by an outfielder since Washington’s Jose Guillen did it May 8, 2005, against San Francisco.

Baltimore took a 2-0 lead in the first. Tike Redman doubled, Nick Markakis singled and Miguel Tejada was hit by a pitch before Redman scored on a wild pitch by Toronto right-hander Jesse Litsch. One out later, Markakis scored on an infield single by Aubrey Huff.

Roberts made it 3-0 with a solo homer in the second and Huff tripled and scored on a Ramon Hernandez single in the third.

Baltimore made it 6-0 in the ninth on a single by Payton and back-to-back doubles from Redman and Markakis.

Litsch (5-9) lasted just three innings, his shortest outing since pitching 2-3 of an inning against the New York Yankees on May 30. He allowed four runs on seven hits, walked one and struck out five.

Litsch, who has allowed 13 homers in 90 2-3 innings, is 1-5 in his past eight starts.

Notes: Toronto Raptors forward Anthony Peterson attended the game. … The Blue Jays claimed INF Joe Inglett off waivers from Cleveland on Friday, but he will not join the team this season. To make room on the 40-man roster, 3B Troy Glaus was placed on the 60-day disabled list. Glaus is scheduled to undergo season-ending foot surgery next week.

AP-ES-09-14-07 2151EDT