Blue Jays defeat Angels, move into tie for wild card
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Russell Martin hit a three-run home run and drove in four runs to lead the Toronto Blue Jays to a 7-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night at Angel Stadium.
Josh Donaldson returned to the Blue Jays' starting lineup as the designated hitter after missing the past three games because of a jammed right hip. The American League's Most Valuable Player last year went 3-for-3, hit two doubles, walked twice and scored twice.
The victory enabled Toronto to move into a tie for the top wild-card spot with the Baltimore Orioles and remained two games behind the Boston Red Sox in the American League East. In the wild-card race, the Blue Jays expanded their lead over the Detroit Tigers and the idle Seattle Mariners to two games.
Left-hander J.A. Happ earned his 13th victory in 14 decisions and his 19th of the season. Happ (19-4) conceded two runs (one earned) and just three hits in six-plus innings, walked three and struck out three.
For the Angels, Andrelton Simmons hit his third home run in two games and extended his hitting streak to nine games in his return to the lineup. But Los Angeles sustained its fourth consecutive loss and its eighth in nine games.
Rookie Daniel Wright received his first major league loss. In five-plus innings, Wright (0-1) allowed three runs on four hits and three walks while collecting three strikeouts.
Toronto held a 2-0 lead in the sixth inning when Martin extended it to 5-0. Donaldson began the inning by drawing a walk from Wright, who left in favor of right-hander Jose Valdez.
After Edwin Encarnacion struck out, Jose Bautista followed with another walk. Then on a 3-1 count, Martin propelled Valdez's 95 mph fastball into the concrete walkway between the bullpens and the left-field stands his 19th home run of the season, a three-run drive that put the Blue Jays ahead, 5-0.
Los Angeles narrowed its deficit to 5-2 in the seventh when Simmons hit his third home run in two games. After Jefry Marte reached base on an error, Simmons hit Happ's 94 mph fastball into the Angels' left-field bullpen for his fourth homer this season.
The hosts then brought the potential tying run to the plate in the eighth, when Albert Pujols and C.J. Cron hit successive singles with one out. But reliever Jason Grilli made Marte fly out and got Simmons to hit a groundout.
The Blue Jays applied the coup de grace by scoring twice in the ninth on Devon Travis' two-run single. Travis used the hit to extend his hitting streak to 12 games, a career high.
The Angels had a chance to score the first run in the second inning. Marte walked with one out and moved to second base when Simmons lined a single to right field. Left-hander Happ defused the threat by striking out Jett Bandy and Gregorio Petit.
The Blue Jays took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning against Wright, making only his fourth major league start.
Josh Donaldson began the inning by lining a double to left-center field, breaking an 0-for-23 slump. Donaldson moved to third when Encarnacion lined a single to left field and scored on Jose Bautista's low line-drive single to right. Encarnacion took third on Bautista's hit and scored on Russell Martin's sacrifice fly.
NOTES: Toronto DH Josh Donaldson returned to the lineup after missing the past three games with a jammed right hip. INF Darwin Barney started at third base. ... Blue Jays OF Melvin Upton Jr. needs one stolen base for 300 in his career. ... Los Angeles SS Andrelton Simmons returned to the lineup after missing the past three games because of a bruised right hand. ... Angels RHP Garrett Richards said he expects to throw off a mound Saturday. Richards is undergoing stem-cell therapy to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament.