Encarnacion, Happ lead Blue Jays to seventh straight win
TORONTO -- Edwin Encarnacion hit a three-run homer, J.A. Happ struck out nine in winning his sixth straight start and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Detroit Tigers 6-0 on Friday night.
Happ (12-3) allowed six hits and one walk in 5 2/3 innings as the Blue Jays increased their season-best winning streak to seven games.
The left-hander became the sixth Blue Jays pitcher to win at least 12 games before the All-Star break and the first since Roy Halladay in 2006.
Detroit starter Mike Pelfrey (2-8) allowed one run and six hits, three walks in six innings. The right-hander struck out two and had three double-play grounders.
Jesse Chavez replaced Happ with two out and two runners on base in the top of the sixth.
Miguel Cabrera led off with a single and Happ walked Justin Upton with two out. It was the first walk Happ had allowed in two starts.
James McCann greeted Chavez with a single to load the bases before Mike Aviles forced McCann at second with a grounder to short.
The Blue Jays (50-39) scored four runs in the seventh. Left-handed reliever Kyle Ryan allowed a leadoff single by Justin Smoak and a double to right center by Kevin Pillar.
Ryan walked Ezequiel Carrera with out and was replaced by right-hander Bobby Parnell, who retired Josh Donaldson on popup to short before giving up Encarnacion's 23rd home run of the season, a blast to center on an 0-1 96 mph fastball.
Bo Schultz set down the Tigers (45-42) in order in the eighth again in the ninth.
The Blue Jays added a run against Mark Lowe in the eighth on singles by Pillar and Barney and a sacrifice fly by Carrera.
Pelfrey got his 19th double-play grounder of the season in the first inning when Encarnacion hit a bouncer to second after Josh Donaldson singled.
The Blue Jays, who stranded 14 runners in their 5-4 win on Thursday, left the bases loaded in the second when Darwin Barney bounced out to Pelfrey.
The Tigers could not take advantage of a leadoff single by Nick Castellanos in the second or a leadoff double by Jose Iglesias in the third.
Happ, who had 11 strikeouts with no walks on Sunday against the Cleveland Indians, had eight strikeouts and no walks through five innings against the Tigers.
Pelfrey induced his 20th double-play grounder of the season in the fifth from Donaldson. But it allowed Barney to score from third to give Toronto a 1-0 lead.
Barney led off the fifth with a double to extend his hitting streak to seven games and took third on a single by Ezequiel Carrera.
NOTES: Toronto LF Michael Saunders landed the final spot on the American League team for the All-Star Game with 17.7 million fan votes. The voting closed Friday. ... The Blue Jays recalled INF Andy Burns from Buffalo and returned RHP Drew Hutchison, who did not factor in the decision Thursday when he made a spot start in Toronto's 5-4 win, to the Triple-A club. ... The Blue Jays are 20-10 in Hutchison's past 30 starts dating to 2015. ... Tigers RHP Bruce Rondon (flu) was not available in relief Thursday. He was so ill that he was sent to the team hotel during batting practice. He was back with the team Friday. ... Toronto RHP Aaron Sanchez (9-1, 2.94 ERA) will start the third game of the four-game series Saturday, but the starter for the Tigers had yet to be determined.