Tribe closer Hand can’t hold ninth-inning lead

TORONTO — Unable to land a knockout punch early, the Cleveland Indians let Toronto hang around

Blue Jays 2, Indians 1, 10 innings

long enough to extend Tuesday’s game in the bottom of the ninth before the Blue Jays rallied for a 2-1 win at Rogers Centre.

Justin Smoak’s RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning gave Toronto its fourth walk-off win of the season. The Blue Jays snapped a six-game losing skid against Cleveland by upending closer Brad Hand

and coming through against an Indians bullpen with the best ERA in the American League.

Toronto tied the score in the ninth when Smoak crushed his 17th home run — the lefty’s second in as many nights against the Indians — on an 0-and-1 slider from Hand. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. nearly ended things one batter later when he hit a 114-mph rocket that bounced off the top of the wall in left for a base hit. But Adam Cimber relieved Hand and struck out Teoscar Hernandez to end the ninth.

Hand suffered his second blown save of the season in 29 chances. The Indians All-star had successfully converted five consecutive save opportunities since his only other misstep on June 25 against Kansas City.

Indians starter Trevor Bauer allowed three hits in 7 innings and striking out nine Blue Jays hitters and walking three. He exited in the eighth inning after allowing a pinch-hit single to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. that nearly tied the score.

Hernandez had reached on a leadoff single against Bauer and moved to second on a wild pitch. After Bauer struck out Billy Mckinney, pinch hitter Lourdes Gurriel singled to right and Hernandez attempted to score.

But Carlos Santana’s relay throw to the plate was on time and Roberto Perez applied the tag for the second out of the inning. Toronto challenged the call, but it was upheld upon review. Oliver Perez then relieved Bauer and struck out Eric Sogard to end the inning.

Bauer thew 117 pitches and benefited from a double-play ground ball off the bat of Randal Grichuk in the second after walking the first two batters in the inning.

Guerrero’s leadoff double in the fifth was the first hit Bauer surrendered to a Blue Jays batter this season after a span of 11 innings. After Grichuk popped out to Jake Bauers in left, Bauer struck out Billy Mckinney and Luke Maile to end the threat.

The Indians’ Greg Allen broke through in the third with a twoout base hit against Aaron Sanchez. Allen picked up his first stolen base of the season with Francisco Lindor batting, and Lindor then sent a sharp grounder to second that got under the glove of Cavan Biggio.

The play was scored a hit and an RBI for Lindor as Allen dashed home.

Boy hit by foul ball out of hospital

The 3-year-old boy who was hit by a foul ball off the bat of shortstop Francisco Lindor on Sunday at Progressive Field was released from a hospital on Sunday evening, the boy’s family and the Indians announced on Tuesday.

According to the release, the boy was released from the hospital, showing no signs of serious injury. The Indians’ Greg Allen steals second base before the Blue Jays’ Freddy Galvis can apply the tag in the second inning.