Jays win on Goins' walk-off HR in 10th; Encarnacion's hit streak ends
TORONTO — After a remarkable August, Toronto Blue Jays slugger Edwin Encarnacion saw his hitting streak end on the first day of September.
Teammate Ryan Goins, however, found a dramatic way to extend his run.
Goins hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning and Toronto beat Cleveland 5-3 on Tuesday night, snapping the Indians' winning streak at six games.
"Unbelievable," Goins said. "I can't even put it into words. Best feeling of my career so far."
It was Toronto's sixth walk-off win of the season and the fourth that's finished with a homer.
The drive extended Goins' hitting streak to a career-high 11 games. He went 1 for 3 with a walk and scored twice.
Goins has raised his average from .220 to .246 over the course of his streak, batting 14 for 32 (.438) in that time.
"He's smoking hot with the bat right now," manager John Gibbons said.
Encarnacion went 0 for 2 with a walk and a sacrifice fly, ending his career-high hitting streak at 26 games.
Mark Lowe (1-2) induced one out for the victory as AL East-leading Toronto won for the fourth time in five games and remained 1½ games ahead of the New York Yankees, who beat Boston 3-1.
Yan Gomes hit two home runs and Michael Brantley also connected but it wasn't enough for the Indians.
Dioner Navarro singled off Bryan Shaw (3-3) to begin the 10th and was replaced by pinch-runner Ezequiel Carrera. One out later, Goins drilled the game-winning homer into the right-field bullpen, his fifth.
"That was a big win for us," Gibbons said. "You never expect home runs from (Goins) but he's had a few and a couple of big ones."
Gomes tied it 2-all with a leadoff drive off Marco Estrada in the seventh, then knotted it at 3-all with a one-out blast off closer Roberto Osuna in the ninth. It was the second multihomer game of the season for Gomes and the third of his career.
"He called an amazing game and then backed it up with a couple of home runs," Indians rookie right-hander Cody Anderson said. "That's incredible."
Abraham Almonte followed the ninth-inning homer with a triple but was left stranded as pinch-hitter Chris Johnson grounded out and Jose Ramirez lined out.
Justin Smoak walked to begin the seventh against reliever Ryan Webb, and was replaced by pinch-runner Dalton Pompey, one of five September call-ups to join the Blue Jays on Tuesday.
After Navarro flied out, Pompey stole second and third before scoring on Kevin Pillar's sacrifice fly to center, Toronto's third of the game.
"That's one of the reasons he's up here, he's very good on the bases," Gibbons said of Pompey.
Encarnacion hit a sacrifice fly in the first and Jose Bautista had one in the third as Toronto opened a 2-0 lead.
Brantley cut the deficit in half with a solo homer in the fourth, and Gomes tied it in the seventh.
Anderson retired the final 10 batters he faced. He allowed two runs and three hits in six innings in his second start since returning from a strained left oblique.
Estrada allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings.
TWO-WAY PLAYER
Goins had the defensive highlight of the game, racing into foul territory behind first base to make a sliding catch on Lonnie Chisenhall in the second.
JAYS ADD FIVE
Toronto recalled 2B Munenori Kawasaki, LHP Aaron Loup, OF Pompey and RHP Ryan Tepera from Triple-A Buffalo, while LHP Jeff Francis was selected from Triple-A. LHP Colt Hynes was designated for assignment to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Francis. C Josh Thole is expected to join the team Wednesday, while International League MVP Matt Hague and RHP Marcus Stroman will likely join later.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Indians: Manager Terry Francona said he will be careful with RHP Gavin Floyd, who was activated off the DL on Tuesday after missing the season so far because of a fractured elbow. "We owe it to him to manage him carefully," Francona said. ... INF Johnson (left index finger) was activated.
Blue Jays: Gibbons said he had no update on the status of 2B Devon Travis, who received a cortisone shot on his injured left shoulder last week.
UP NEXT
Indians: RHP Trevor Bauer (10-10, 4.31 ERA) has allowed two earned runs in his past two starts after giving up five in 1 2/3 innings against Boston in his previous start.
Blue Jays: RHP R.A. Dickey (9-10, 4.25 ERA) has won six straight decisions and is unbeaten in nine starts since a 2-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox on July 9.
