By Morris Phillips

It was get what you pay for night at the O.co Coliseum.

The Blue Jays strutted out with their suped-up, vanity-level starting pitcher, 36-year old Mark Buehrle, on nights like this, a guy who’s won 210 major league games and looks like he could win 210 more.

Cost: $20,000,000 in 2015 baseball megabucks.

Meanwhile, the A’s countered with Kendall Graveman, a 24-year old project moving at high speed to major league competentcy thanks to the shrewd-dealings of Billy Beane and the careful crafting of pitching coach Curt Young.  Definitely a guy to watch for in the near future, but in 2015, still a project.

Cost: $507,000 on Overstock.com with free shipping for bigger items.

Not surprisingly, Buehrle settled in as if he magically appeared on the Coliseum mound courtesy of a Justin Timberlake-like hydraulic platform stage shrouded in dry-ice fog.  The veteran–no doubt well-aware of the A’s struggles against lefty starters—cruised through seven innings of work, barely noticing the eight Oakland hits when juxtaposed against his one run and no walks allowed in the Jays 7-1 victory.

In the other corner, Graveman looked itchy and irritated, allowing three home runs in a start for the first time.  Whether it was the All-Star break-laced, 10 days in between starts or a rough fifth inning in which he threw 26 pitches but escaped harm, the A’s rookie couldn’t get comfortable.  In the sixth, Graveman got taken deep by Jose Bautista, walked Edwin Encarnacion and Justin Smoak, then allowed Russell Martin’s three-run shot hit in nearly the same spot as Bautista’s.

“Early on he had a lot of good movement, keeping the ball on the ground like he does.  Obviously he gave up some home runs, but it didn’t really look like they were balls up in the zone.   Look like they went down a got at least a couple of them.  Just not one of his better nights,” manager Bob Melvin said.

It probably didn’t help that everyone in the Toronto organization knows precisely what Graveman’s strengths and weaknesses are.  The Alabama-raised, Mississippi State product pitched in relief for the Jays last September before he was included in the Josh Donaldson trade this off-season.  Also, Graveman’s currently down in an up-and-down campaign that’s seen him win three, lose three, win three and now, lose two.

Also, the Toronto trio that took Graveman deep are paid handsomely to hit home runs, especially Bautista and Encarnacion.  The great home run hitters instinctively sense disjointed pitch sequences and embrace rhythm, no doubt the story of Graveman’s sixth inning meltdown.  Facing experienced hitters the third time is often a danger zone for starters, it’s a pitching skill that requires a great deal of guile, and Graveman has advanced that far yet.

“When I made mistakes, they hit it,” Graveman said.  “I have to be better with my location.”

Donaldson drew applause in his first game back in Oakland, politely acknowledging the reception with a tap of his helmet during his first at-bat.  The third baseman’s done pretty much what he did in his final season in Oakland: post big numbers on his way to a second-straight All-Star appearance.  But he didn’t need to lead the charge Tuesday. Donaldson admitted some nerves, but they must have subsided.  He doubled in each of his last two at-bats after an 0 for 3 start.

“I’ve really never been put in that position before, so it was kind of a new experience,” Donaldson said.

The A’s look to bounce back on Wednesday at 7:05pm with Sonny Gray on the mound.  The Blue Jays will counter with Felix Doubront.