TORONTO (AP) -- Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run homer and Mark Buehrle earned his 30th career win against Minnesota as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the struggling Twins 9-3 Thursday night to complete a four-game sweep.Encarnacion went 3 for 4 with four RBIs and scored twice. The surging Blue Jays won their fifth straight and swept a four-game series from the Twins for the first time.Toronto is 4 1/2 games behind first-place New York in the AL East going into a three-game series at Yankee Stadium that begins Friday night. The teams play 13 times before the end of the season. 
Encarnacion hit an RBI double in the first, homered in the third, walked and scored in the fifth and doubled home a run in the sixth. He is 14 for 32 (.438) during a nine-game hitting streak.Buehrle (12-5) allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings to win his third consecutive decision. He is 30-19 with a 3.68 ERA in 54 appearances against Minnesota.Trevor Plouffe hit a two-run homer and Aaron Hicks had a solo shot for the Twins, who matched a season worst by losing their fifth straight. Minnesota is 5-14 since the All-Star break.Now 54-54, the Twins are .500 for the first time since May 2, when they were 12-12.Leading on Encarnacion's first double, Toronto made it 2-0 with three straight singles off Kyle Gibson in the third, including Josh Donaldson's RBI hit. After Jose Bautista grounded into a double play, Encarnacion hit a first-pitch homer, his 21st.Toronto has hit at least one home run in 18 of 19 games since the All-Star break.After Bautista made it 5-2 with an RBI double in the fifth, Minnesota intentionally walked Encarnacion to load the bases with one out. The strategy didn't pay off, however, as Dioner Navarro hit a two-run single and Justin Smoak drove in another run to make it 8-2.It was the major league-leading 39th time the Blue Jays had scored four or more times in an inning. They reached six runs or more for the 50th time, the highest total of any big league team.Gibson (8-9), winless in four starts, matched his career worst by allowing eight runs. The right-hander gave up nine hits in 4 2-3 innings.
Encarnacion hit an RBI double in the first, homered in the third, walked and scored in the fifth and doubled home a run in the sixth. He is 14 for 32 (.438) during a nine-game hitting streak.Buehrle (12-5) allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings to win his third consecutive decision. He is 30-19 with a 3.68 ERA in 54 appearances against Minnesota.Trevor Plouffe hit a two-run homer and Aaron Hicks had a solo shot for the Twins, who matched a season worst by losing their fifth straight. Minnesota is 5-14 since the All-Star break.Now 54-54, the Twins are .500 for the first time since May 2, when they were 12-12.Leading on Encarnacion's first double, Toronto made it 2-0 with three straight singles off Kyle Gibson in the third, including Josh Donaldson's RBI hit. After Jose Bautista grounded into a double play, Encarnacion hit a first-pitch homer, his 21st.Toronto has hit at least one home run in 18 of 19 games since the All-Star break.After Bautista made it 5-2 with an RBI double in the fifth, Minnesota intentionally walked Encarnacion to load the bases with one out. The strategy didn't pay off, however, as Dioner Navarro hit a two-run single and Justin Smoak drove in another run to make it 8-2.It was the major league-leading 39th time the Blue Jays had scored four or more times in an inning. They reached six runs or more for the 50th time, the highest total of any big league team.Gibson (8-9), winless in four starts, matched his career worst by allowing eight runs. The right-hander gave up nine hits in 4 2-3 innings.
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
