Ex-teammate hurts Jays
CLEVELAND The Toronto Blue Jays know better than any team in baseball what happens when Edwin Encarnacion gets hot.
Encarnacion homered and drove in four runs against his former team as the Cleveland Indians routed Toronto 13-3 on Friday night.
“Yeah, many a time, thanks for reminding me,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons joked when asked about seeing similar performances when the slugger played six seasons with Toronto.
Encarnacion, who signed a three-year, $60 million contract with Cleveland in January, hit a leadoff home run in the second, broke a 3all tie in the fifth with a tworun double and added an RBI single when Cleveland scored eight times in the seventh.
“I always try to give my best no matter who we’re playing,” he said. “Thankfully, I was able to have a good game against my ex-team.”
Encarnacion was 3 for 4 with a walk and nearly added to his total later in the seventh, but centre fielder Kevin Pillar tracked down his fly ball on the warning track with two runners on.
Encarnacion’s big night couldn’t have come at a better time. The Indians won for just the second time in eight games and the offence scored 16 runs during a 1-5 road trip.
“He picked us up,” manager Terry Francona said. “Once he did, sometimes the hitting can get contagious. Tonight was one of those nights. It was good.”
Abraham Almonte hit a three-run homer and rookie Bradley Zimmer added a tworun single in the seventh.
Trevor Bauer (8-8) allowed three runs in five innings. The righthander lasted only 2/3 of an inning — matching the shortest start of his career — against Oakland on Sunday.
Marco Estrada (4-7) gave up five runs in 4 2/3 innings and hasn’t won since May 27.
Jose Morales, Ryan Goins and Justin Smoak drove in runs for Toronto, which took a 3-1 lead into the fifth before Cleveland scored four times.
TIGERS 6, TWINS 3
MINNEAPOLIS — Victor Martinez hit two home runs and the Detroit Tigers beat the Minnesota Twins.
Anibal Sanchez (2-0) gave up three runs and six hits with five strikeouts and three walks in 5 2/3 innings for the Tigers, who lost star Miguel Cabrera to a right clavicle contusion in the fourth inning. Cabrera had X-rays that were negative and is listed as day-to-day.
METS 7, ATHLETICS 5
NEW YORK — Michael Conforto hit a pair of two-run homers and Jerry Blevins rescued the Mets’ bullpen with a five-out save as New York held off the Oakland Athletics.
RANGERS 4, RAYS 3, 10 INNINGS
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Elvis Andrus homered early, and then snapped a 10thinning tie with a two-out infield single that gave the struggling Texas Rangers a victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
ASTROS 8, ORIOLES 7
BALTIMORE — Rookie Yuli Gurriel had a career-high four hits, including a home run, and the Houston Astros received a gritty pitching performance from Mike Fiers in a win over the Baltimore Orioles.
PHILLIES 6, BREWERS 1
PHILADELPHIA — Aaron Nola tied a career-high with nine strikeouts in seven sharp innings, Freddy Galvis hit a two-run homer and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the reeling Milwaukee Brewers.
CARDINALS 11, CUBS 4
CHICAGO — Paul DeJong hit a tiebreaking two-run double in St. Louis’ nine-run eighth inning, and the Cardinals cooled off the Chicago Cubs.