TORONTO — Edwin Encarnacion hit two home runs and left-hander J.A. Happ pitched six innings as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Cleveland Indians 4-2 on Thursday.
Encarnacion, who has eight homers on the season, also had a double and drove in three runs for the game.
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Juan Francisco added his seventh home run of the season for the Blue Jays (21-21), who took the rubber match of the three-game series with the Indians (19-22) to complete a 5-4 home stand.
David Murphy, who had five hits and five RBIs in Cleveland’s 15-4 win on Wednesday, hit his third homer of the season in the fifth inning.
Cleveland Indians second baseman Mike Aviles, left, is late on the tag as Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes, centre, slides safe into second after hitting a double to left field. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Happ (2-1) allowed six hits, two walks and one run as Cleveland dropped to 4-10 when facing a left-handed starter, 0-8 on the road. It was Happ’s third start of the year after being on the disabled list with a sore back and pitching from the bullpen on his return.
Casey Janssen, who also started the season on the disabled list, pitched the ninth for his second save of the season.
Cleveland right-hander Danny Salazar (1-4) needed 98 pitches to work through four innings and was replaced by right-hander C.C. Lee to start the fifth with the Blue Jays leading 2-1.
Cleveland Indians left fielder Ryan Raburn, left, slides safe past Toronto Blue Jays catcher Erik Kratz, right, at home plate to score a run during eighth inning AL baseball action in Toronto on Thursday, May 15, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Salazar allowed five hits, including second-inning homers by Encarnacion and Francisco, two walks and two runs. He also hit a batter.
Lee faced two batters. Jose Bautista led off the fifth with a single and Encarnacion lofted a drive to left on a 3-2 fastball. It was the second time he has hit two homers in a game this season and it was the 13th multi-homer game of his career.
Toronto Blue Jays DH Edwin Encarnacion rounds the bases after hitting a two run home run against the Cleveland Indians during fifth inning AL baseball action in Toronto on Thursday, May 15, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Left-hander Brett Cecil pitched the seventh for Toronto and right-hander Steve Delabar took over in the eighth and was greeted by Ryan Raburn’s double. Carlos Santana walked. But Asdrubal Cabrera lined out to right and pinch hitter Lonnie Chisenhall lined out to centre. Yan Gomes singled up the middle to cut the lead to two runs and bring in left-hander Aaron Loup who struck out Murphy.
