Buehrle gets 9th win, Blue Jays beat Rays 9-6

TORONTO — Another blast by Edwin Encarnacion helped make Mark Buehrle the first nine-game winner in baseball.

Buehrle won his season-best fifth straight decision, Encarnacion and Adam Lind hit back-to-back home runs and the Toronto Blue Jays extended their winning streak to eight games, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 9-6 on Tuesday night.

“Everybody’s having fun,” Encarnacion said. “You can see it on their faces. We’re playing great baseball.”

Juan Francisco also homered for the AL East-leading Blue Jays, who have won 13 of 15 and are 19-7 in May.

Buehrle said he’s grateful to have Encarnacion’s booming bat supporting him.

“He’s everything you could ask for,” Buehrle said. “Offensively and defensively, he’s awesome.”

Encarnacion connected for the 14th time in May, matching Jose Bautista’s team record for home runs in a month. Bautista hit 14 homers in June 2012.

“Eddie’s on some kind of roll right now,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said.

Encarnacion has homered in three straight games for the third time this season.

The Blue Jays lead the majors with 76 home runs. They have gone deep in 10 straight games and 29 of their past 34, hitting 58 homers in that span.

Buehrle (9-1) allowed four runs, three earned, and eight hits in 6 2-3 innings. The left-hander walked one and struck out three.

Casey Janssen finished for his eighth save in as many chances.

Sean Rodriguez had three RBIs for the Rays, who lost their second straight following a season-best four-game winning streak. Rays manager Joe Maddon said he’s just hoping to get out of Toronto without being swept.

“Taking one out of three right now sounds very enticing,” Maddon said.

Lind and Encarnacion both connected off Rays right-hander Alex Cobb, who lost for the first time since April 1 and saw his streak of 24 2-3 scoreless innings snapped.

Cobb (1-2) allowed season-worsts of six runs and nine hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out seven.

The Rays gave Cobb the lead in the fourth on an RBI double by Rodriguez and an RBI grounder by Will Myers, but the right-hander couldn’t hold it. Brett Lawrie and Dioner Navarro hit two-out RBI singles in the bottom half to tie the game and snap Cobb’s scoreless streak. Cobb had not allowed an earned run since his first start, April 1 against Toronto.

Jose Reyes began the fifth with a line drive that struck Cobb on the right thigh, knocking him to the ground. Cobb appeared shaken up, but stayed in the game after a few warmup pitches.

TIGERS 6, ATHLETICS 5

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Pinch-runner Rajai Davis scored on Austin Jackson’s fielder’s choice groundout in the eighth inning and Detroit halted a three-game losing streak.

J.D. Martinez drew a one-out walk off Oakland reliever Fernando Abad (0-2). Davis was brought in to run and the speedy outfielder took second on a passed ball. He then stole third when A’s catcher Derek Norris was throwing the ball back to Abad.

After Luke Gregerson replaced Abad, Jackson hit a sharp grounder to Oakland shortstop Jed Lowrie, but the A’s were unable to turn the double play and Davis raced home with the go-ahead run.

Miguel Cabrera and Torii Hunter homered for the Al Central-leading Tigers.

John Jaso homered for the A’s.

Al Albuquerque (2-1) pitched one inning for the win and Joe Nathan worked the ninth for his 12th save in 15 tries.

ANGELS 6, MARINERS 4

SEATTLE (AP) — Jered Weaver gave up three runs over six innings for his fifth win in six starts and C.J. Cron homered to lead Los Angeles.

Weaver (6-3) gave up seven hits and a walk while striking out five. Weaver has lasted at least six innings in nine of his 11 starts this season, and this was the first time in eight outings he allowed more than two runs.

Cron led off the seventh inning with his third homer since making his major league debut on May 3.

Ernesto Frieri pitched the ninth for his seventh save.

Smoak led off the fourth inning with his seventh home run for Seattle, which had won five of the last six meetings between the teams this season.

Roenis Elias (3-4) allowed five runs and eight hits in 6 1-3 innings. The five earned runs were the most the Mariners rookie has allowed in his 11 career starts.

WHITE SOX 2, INDIANS 1

CHICAGO (AP) — Gordon Beckham homered, Conor Gillaspie singled home another run and Chicago outlasted Cleveland in a game twice delayed by rain.

Beckham finished 2 for 4, adding a double in the first inning.

TWINS 4, RANGERS 3

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Texas closer Joakim Soria bobbled a slow-bouncing ball hit by Minnesota’s Danny Santana to the left of the mound with two outs and the bases loaded in the ninth inning, allowing the winning run to score.

The day began ominously for the Rangers when star pitcher Yu Darvish was scratched from his scheduled start with stiffness in his neck. Fill-in Scott Baker gave up three hits over six innings and Chris Gimenez hit a tiebreaking two-out RBI single in the sixth off Phil Hughes.

ASTROS 3, ROYALS 0

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Collin McHugh held light-hitting Kansas City at bay over seven innings, and Houston earned its first four-game winning streak since last September.

The Astros own the worst record in the AL, but have won four in a row on the road for the first time since taking six straight away from Minute Maid Park last May 29-June 3.

CARDINALS 6, YANKEES 0

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Lance Lynn threw a five-hit shutout in his first career complete game and the St. Louis Cardinals got home runs from Allen Craig and Matt Holliday.

Holliday and Matt Adams had three hits and an RBI apiece and Craig drove in two runs in the interleague matchup. The Cardinals have won 10 of 13, shaking off a 12-inning loss in the series’ opener, and ended the Yankees’ three-game road winning streak that matched their best of the year.

David Phelps (1-2) pitched in his hometown for the first time and allowed three earned runs in six innings. Two infield errors contributed to two unearned runs in the Cardinals’ breakout four-run third.

Derek Jeter got a standing ovation before each at-bat, just like in the opener. He was 0 for 3 with a walk.

Lynn (6-2) struck out two and walked three, topping his previous career best of eight innings on April 25, 2012, at Chicago against the Cubs.

DODGERS 6, REDS 3

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Andre Ethier drove in Los Angeles’ first four runs with a homer and a bases-loaded triple, and Zack Greinke tied a season high with 11 strikeouts.

Greinke (8-1) allowed three runs, eight hits and no walks in 7 2-3 innings. The 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner was lifted after giving up a two-run homer by Devin Mesoraco on his 104th pitch — ending Greinke’s streak of 22 consecutive starts in which he had allowed fewer than three earned runs. It was the longest such streak since the dead-ball era.

Kenley Jansen followed J.P. Howell out of the bullpen and pitched a perfect ninth for his 16th save.

Alfredo Simon (6-3) threw 70 pitches in 3 2-3 innings, giving up five runs, five hits and four walks.

BREWERS 7, ORIOLES 6, 10 INNINGS

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Pitcher Yovani Gallardo delivered a pinch-hit double that drove home the winning run with two outs in the 10th inning, foiling Baltimore’s strategy and sending Milwaukee to victory.

With the pitcher’s spot on deck and knowing Milwaukee was out of position players, the Orioles intentionally walked Mark Reynolds with two outs and no one on base in the 10th.

Brewers manager Ron Roenicke sent up Gallardo — a starting pitcher who was 1 for 14 this season — to bat for reliever Francisco Rodriguez (2-1).

Gallardo then drove a 2-0 pitch from T.J. McFarland (0-1) to deep center field to win it.

The Brewers blew an early 5-0 lead, but tied it at 6 with two outs in the ninth on an infield single by Jonathan Lucroy.

GIANTS 4, CUBS 0

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Tim Hudson turned in another vintage performance to start this season, tossing seven scoreless innings to lead San Francisco past Chicago.

Hudson (5-2) allowed six hits, struck out five and walked none. The 38-year-old has allowed two earned runs or fewer in nine of his 10 starts, and he has pitched at least seven innings eight times.

Buster Posey drove in two runs, and Michael Morse and Pablo Sandoval singled home a run each to help the Giants (33-19) hold on to the best record in the majors. Jeremy Affeldt pitched a perfect eighth and Jean Machi pitched a perfect ninth to close out the Cubs, who will try again to win their first road series since last September in Wednesday’s finale.

Jake Arrieta (1-1) gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked one but got no support with Hudson on the mound.

RED SOX 6, BRAVES 3

ATLANTA (AP) — Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a two-run single during a four-run rally in the seventh inning and Boston beat Atlanta in the latest comeback following its longest losing streak in 20 years.

Dustin Pedroia had three hits and Grady Sizemore had two, along with a go-ahead groundout in the seventh inning of the interleague contest.

The Red Sox snapped their 10-game losing streak on Monday, overcoming a five-run deficit to top Atlanta 8-6.

Jon Lester (5-6) snapped a personal two-game losing streak by giving up three runs on eight hits and three walks in six innings. Koji Uehara retired the Braves in order in the ninth for his 11th save.

Braves starter Aaron Harang left with a 3-2 lead after the sixth. Anthony Varvaro (1-1) took the loss.

METS 4, PIRATES 2

NEW YORK (AP) — Juan Lagares drove in two runs, Vic Black gave the bullpen a boost and New York finally managed some timely hits in its first game with a new batting coach.

Daniel Murphy doubled twice and light-hitting Ruben Tejada reached base all four times up to help the Mets win for only the fourth time in 13 games. The victory came one day after hitting coach Dave Hudgens was fired and replaced by Lamar Johnson, who had been New York’s minor league hitting coordinator.

PADRES 4, DIAMONDBACKS 3

PHOENIX (AP) — Tommy Medica hit a tiebreaking solo homer in the eighth inning and Eric Stults pitched six effective innings for San Diego.

Stults was sharp early before giving up a couple of runs that allowed Arizona to tie the game at 3-all.

ROCKIES 6, PHILLIES 2

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Wilin Rosario hit a go-ahead, three-run homer and Jorge De La Rosa pitched six strong innings to lift Colorado to victory.

Drew Stubbs went 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI for the Rockies, who had lost four of five while being outscored 16-0 in their two previous games.

Ben Revere hit his first career homer in his 1,466th at-bat, and Darin Ruf also went deep for the Phillies.

The start of the game was delayed 1 hour, 22 minutes due to rain.

De La Rosa (6-3) continued his strong stretch, allowing one run and six hits with four strikeouts and two walks. The left-hander is 6-0 with a 1.58 ERA in his last seven starts.

Philadelphia starter Cole Hamels (1-3) left after the seventh, giving up four runs and three hits with four strikeouts and two walks.