Blue Jays at Indians (Game 1)
Edwin Encarnacion is still batting below the Mendoza line, but he warmed up for a meeting against his former teammates by cranking out three home runs in the Cleveland Indians' 12-4 rout of the Texas Rangers on Wednesday. Encarnacion and the Indians look to keep the offense percolating when they host the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday in a make-up doubleheader.
Encarnacion swatted 193 homers in five seasons with Toronto prior to belting 38 last year for Cleveland, which is only 4-5 entering the final day of its 11-game homestand. "We've all seen how hot he can get," said Indians manager Terry Francona of Encarnacion, "where he can kind of put you on his shoulders a little bit." Toronto came up short in a bid for a sweep in Minnesota, dropping the series finale to snap a three-game winning streak in which it scored seven runs in each of the victories. Kevin Pillar had a pair of hits in Wednesday's 4-0 loss and is 11-for-24 with three homers, five doubles, a triple and six RBIs during a seven-game hitting streak.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, Sportsnet (Toronto), SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays LH Jaime García (2-2, 5.40 ERA) vs. Indians RH Carlos Carrasco (4-1, 3.08)
Garcia, who was scheduled to start one of the postponed games against the Indians, lost his second straight outing after giving up five runs on five hits over five innings versus Texas last time out. He has not pitched beyond 5 1/3 innings since his season debut and continues to struggle with the long ball, surrendering seven homers in five starts. Jose Ramirez is 3-for-6 against Garcia, who has lost both starts versus Cleveland.
Carrasco suffered his first loss last time out, lasting only three innings due to back tightness and permitting a pair of homers and five runs. That ended a string of four consecutive quality starts in which the 31-year-old Venezuelan allowed a combined four runs and 17 hits over 29 1/3 innings. Curtis Granderson is 5-for-12 against Carrasco, who blanked the Blue Jays on three hits over seven innings in his lone start against them in 2017.
WALK-OFFS
1. Blue Jays 3B Josh Donaldson (shoulder), on the disabled list since April 10, is expected to be activated Thursday.
2. Indians SS Francisco Lindor was 8-for-16 with a homer and six RBIs in three games versus Texas.
3. Granderson was 0-for-9 with seven strikeouts in the three-game set at Minnesota.