NEW YORK — Edwin Encarnación hit a go-ahead grand slam, a trio of ex-Rockies beat up on their former team and the New York Yankees defeated Colorado 8-2 Friday night.

Encarnación lined his 12th career slam in the third inning off Kyle Freeland, and first-year Yankees DJ LeMahieu, Adam Ottavino and Mike Tauchman poured it on in their first games against their old club. LeMahieu had two hits and two RBI, Ottavino struck out the side in a perfect relief inning and Tauchman had a career-high three hits and a stolen base and threw out a runner at home plate from left field.

Aaron Judge added a two-run homer, and J.A. Happ (8-5) struck out eight while pitching two-run ball over five innings. New York came from behind to win for a fourth straight game and improved to a major league-best 63-33 – 30 games over .500 for the first time this season. The Yankees lead second-place Tampa Bay by a season-high nine games in the AL East.

Ryan McMahon, LeMahieu’s replacement at second base, hit his 10th homer for Colorado, which has lost 12 of 14. Freeland (2-7) allowed five runs in four innings, striking out six.

Stephen Tarpley struck out six over three scoreless innings for his second save, finishing a 17-strikeout night by Yankees pitchers.

Encarnación lost his grip and whipped his bat past the mound on strike three in the second inning. His right hand slipped off again on a swing in the third, but his left was strong enough to drive the ball into the first row in left field and put New York ahead 4-2. Freeland allowed consecutive walks that loaded the bases prior to Encarnación’s 29th homer.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

WHITE SOX 9, RAYS 2: Leury García had four hits, including three doubles, Reynaldo López won for the first time in six starts and visiting Chicago stopped a seven-game losing streak.

López (5-8) gave up two runs and six hits in seven innings with eight strikeouts. He had been 0-2 with a 5.34 ERA since beating Kansas City on June 9.

INDIANS 10, ROYALS 5: Rookie Oscar Mercado went 5 for 5 and drove in two runs as Cleveland won its sixth straight game, beating visiting Kansas City.

Mercado is batting .423 (11 for 26) with three home runs and eight RBI over the last eight games. He had an RBI double in the third inning and a run-scoring single in the sixth. He also scored twice.

Shane Bieber (9-3), making his second start since being named MVP of the All-Star Game, allowed five runs in 5 2/3 innings.

BLUE JAYS 12, TIGERS 1: Marcus Stroman breezed through seven scoreless innings, and Toronto batted around in both the fourth and the sixth innings on its way to a rout at Detroit.

Teoscar Hernandez homered for Toronto, which scored four runs in the fourth and five in the sixth, sending 10 batters to the plate in each inning.

The Tigers lost for the 26th time in their last 29 home games. That does not include a May 19 game in which Detroit was losing when the contest was suspended.

Stroman (6-10) allowed six hits. The All-Star right-hander struck out five with no walks.

Detroit’s Jordan Zimmermann (0-7) is  winless in his last 16 starts. He allowed six runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings, and has yielded 20 runs in his last three starts.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

CUBS 6, PADRES 5: Anthony Rizzo hit a grand slam – his first home run since June 15 – then scored the tiebreaking run on an error in the eighth inning as Chicago won at home.

Javier Baez also homered for the NL Central-leading Cubs, who have won six of seven since the All-Star break.

Josh Naylor tied the score 5-5 in the top of the eighth inning against Pedro Strop (2-3) with his first career pinch home run, but the Cubs went back ahead in the bottom half.

Rizzo singled off Craig Stammen (6-5), rookie shortstop Fernandez Tatis Jr. threw Addison Russell’s grounder into center field for an error, Jason Heyward was intentionally walked and David Bote hit a grounder to third. Machado threw home for a forceout and catcher Francisco Mejia threw to first, even though he didn’t have a play on Bote. The ball hit off the glove of first baseman Eric Hosmer and bounced into short right field as Rizzo scored on Hosmer’s error.

Craig Kimbrel struck out three around a four-pitch walk in the ninth for his fourth save in five chances.

San Diego has lost five of six and 11 of 15.

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