DUNEDIN, Fla. — Adam Lind has been trying to be more patient at the plate, and his work paid off Saturday when he hit a three-run homer and run-scoring triple in Toronto's 9-0 rout of the Atlanta Braves.
Each of Lind's big hits came after he had fouled off four or more pitches from Randall Delgado, waiting for the right offering.
"It's good for the team. It's good for me, just to show the staff that I'm trying to have long at-bats," Lind said. "I don't want to become too timid in the box. I want to be aggressive.
Manager John Farrell was pleased Lind laid off a tough 3-2 slider from Cristhian Martinez to take a sixth-inning walk. It came on what Lind called a back-leg slider, a pitch that breaks late in and down toward his left foot.
"There was less tension," Farrell said of Lind's swing. "He fouled off a number of quality pitches ... It's good to see that from him."
Competing for the last spot in the Braves' starting rotation, Delgado allowed eight runs — five earned — and 10 hits in four innings. He gave up third-inning singles to Omar Vizquel and Yunel Escobar, and Lind drove the ball to right for his first spring training home run.
Two singles and an error in the fourth loaded the bases for Kelly Johnson, who cleared them with a double off the center-field wall. Lind followed with a wind-blown, two-out triple to right, then scored on Eric Thames' double.
Before Johnson's triple, Josh Wilson allowed Travis Snyder's hard-hit grounder to bounce off him, the the ball bounding high and landing behind the second baseman.
"You can't assume a double play," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said, " but if we make that play behind him, it might be a different inning. Still, he's got to learn how to get through those innings. But at the end of the day I think he did pitch a little better than what the linescore showed."
Henderson Alvarez allowed one hit in scoreless five innings, struck out four and walked none.
NOTES: Blue Jays 3B Brett Lawrie, out since March 16 with tightness in his left groin, could play Sunday, according to Farrell. ... Toronto OF Ben Francisco, who strained his left hamstring in Friday's win over the Rays, "feels better than what he thought he would," Farrell said. "He's obviously out. How long is yet to be determined." ... The Blue Jays reassigned OF Antony Gose and RHPs Jesse Chavez, Drew Carpenter and Robert Coello to their minor league camp.
