Jays spoil Encarnacion’s homecoming
TORONTO — Edwin Encarnacion received a warm reception on Monday night from the fans who used to call him their own.
Then he went out and got two hits and reached base three times.
Unfortunately, his new teammates didn’t contribute much to his homecoming as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Cleveland Indians 4- 2 at Rogers Centre.
The Indians have been held to three runs or fewer in 17 of their 31 games this season.
Trevor Bauer ( 2- 3) allowed two runs each in the second and third innings, and that was enough to beat the Indians.
Bauer, working on six days’ rest, set a career high with 125 pitches thrown in six innings.
Ryan Goins his just the third homer of his big- league career in the second for a 2-0 Blue Jays lead. It came with two out as Bauer made a good pitch inside, but Goins made a better swing.
The Blue Jays made it 4-0 on Justin Smoak’s two- run single in the third. Bauer walked Kevin Pillar and gave up a double to Kendrys Morales to bring Smoak to the plate.
The win went to Marcus Stroman (3-2), who threw six scoreless innings, allowing six hits with two walks and a strikeout. Stroman left his previous start after three innings with right shoulder tightness.
Bauer allowed four runs on six hits. He struck out six and walked three.
The Indians finally broke through in the eighth, but it took some doing.
After Roberto Perez walked and Carlos Santana doubled him to third, Francisco Lindor singled to right against former Indians reliever Joe Smith. Perez scored, and when Lindor got caught in a rundown between first and second, Santana scored as well.
It was the first game between the teams since the Indians beat the Blue Jays in five game in the American League championship series last season. Bauer and Stroman were the were the starting pitchers in Game 3 of that series.