TORONTO (AP) — Omar Infante hit a two-run single in the 10th inning and the Royals overcame two home runs by Edwin Encarnacion to beat the Blue Jays, snapping Toronto’s winning streak at nine games.
Facing Todd Redmond (0-4), Alcides Escobar singled to begin the 10th. Pedro Ciriaco was hit on the front of the helmet while squaring to bunt and Nori Aoki advanced the runners with a sacrifice before Infante lined a single just over the reach of leaping third baseman Brett Lawrie.
Wade Davis (4-1) worked two innings for the win and Greg Holland closed it out for his 15th save in 16 chances.
Encarnacion matched a major league record with his fifth multihomer game in a month. Albert Belle did it in September 1995 and Harmon Killebrew in May 1959.
The blasts were Encarnacion’s 15th and 16th in May, breaking a team record.
TIGERS 5, ATHLETICS 4
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Miguel Cabrera hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the fifth to back Rick Porcello’s eighth victory, and the Detroit Tigers beat the Oakland Athletics 5-4 on Thursday for a split of the four-game series between division leaders.
Porcello (8-2) overcame a career-high six walks, three shy of his season total coming into Thursday’s start. Joe Nathan earned his 13th save after allowing Josh Donaldson’s leadoff double, an RBI infield single by Yoenis Cespedes and Josh Reddick’s run-scoring double.
It was Nathan’s first outing since he surrendered Donaldson’s game-ending three-run homer in Wednesday’s 3-1 loss for his fourth blown save opportunity.
Victor Martinez doubled home two runs in the seventh and Cabrera also had an RBI groundout for the Tigers, who head to Seattle for the weekend before returning home.
Nick Punto hit a two-run homer in the fourth for Oakland, which wasted chances all game to lose for only the seventh time in 20 games. Jesse Chavez (4-3) lost consecutive starts for the first time this season following a two-game winning streak.
RANGERS 5, TWINS 4
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Leonys Martin doubled twice and scored three times, including the go-ahead run in the eighth inning, and Texas won its second straight four-game series on the road.
Shin-Soo Choo hit a three-run double in the second for the Rangers, but the Twins took a 4-3 lead in the fifth inning on Josh Willingham’s first home run of the season, a no-doubt drive to the second deck above left-center field.
Alexi Ogando (2-2) got four outs for the victory, and Joakim Soria retired the last two batters for his 10th save. Soria saved the last two games of the series after he had his first blown chance of the season in Tuesday’s 4-3 loss.
Martin hit a leadoff double in the eighth against Casey Fien (3-2), moved up on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Rougned Odor’s sacrifice fly. Texas has won eight of 11.
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