TORONTO - Dallas Braden isn't panicking about Oakland's poor start to the season.

Travis Snider hit a three-run home run, Yunel Escobar had three hits before leaving with an injury and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Braden and the Athletics 5-3 on Wednesday night.

Oakland has lost four of five to start the season and will try to avoid being swept by Toronto on Thursday afternoon. The Athletics visit Minnesota and Chicago before returning home.

"We have a tough trip obviously but I like the way we've been playing," manager Bob Geren said. "We've been playing a lot better overall, swinging the bats a little better. The starting pitching has been fantastic."

Still, some victories would be nice.

"Hopefully we'll put all three facets of the game together (Thursday)," outfielder Josh Willingham said. "We need to get a win this series, for sure."

Braden (0-1), who allowed 10 hits and five runs in seven-plus innings, understands there's plenty of time to right the ship.

"There's always room for improvement," Braden said. "But I don't feel like we're so down and out or at the bottom of the barrel or anything like that. I don't have that sense at all about this team. For game five to feel like we're behind the 8-ball or feel like we're not doing our best, I think it's a little early."

Jesse Litsch pitched six and one-third innings for his first win since July 20 and Jon Rauch got two outs for his first save as the Blue Jays won for the eighth time in 11 games against the Athletics. Starting for the first time since Aug 1, 2010, Litsch allowed three runs and six hits, walked two and struck out a career-high seven. He missed the end of last season after undergoing hip surgery.

Oakland, which came in with a Major League high nine errors through four games, didn't make another miscue but did misplay two balls. Escobar was involved both times, picking up a single after third baseman Andy LaRoche couldn't handle his grounder in the first, and a triple on a ball that eluded right fielder David DeJesus in the fifth.

Escobar was shaken up after sliding face first into LaRoche's leg on his triple, laying on the ground and being tended to by the trainer before getting up. Escobar ran the bases and played defense in the sixth but was replaced by John McDonald in the seventh after complaining of dizziness.

"We're hopeful and at least cautiously optimistic at this point that we're not entertaining something like (a concussion)," Blue Jays manager John Farrell said.

Adam Lind's RBI double in the first gave Toronto an early lead, but Oakland's Hideki Matsui answered with a two-run double in the fourth.

Associated Press

(China Daily 04/08/2011 page22)