Blue Jays 3 Angels 2
TORONTO — Adam Lind drove home the winning run in the 10th inning with a ground ball to first base as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 on Monday.
Mike McCoy led off the bottom of the 10th on an error charged to shortstop Erick Aybar. Eric Thames followed with a single against left-hander Scott Downs (6-3).
Jose Bautista forced Thames at second but the Angels couldn’t turn the double play and McCoy went to third.
Lind hit a grounder to right-fielder Torii Hunter, who was brought into the infield, but the throw home was off the mark and the winning run scored on what was ruled a fielder’s choice.
The unearned run came after the Angels couldn’t do anything in the top of the inning with a leadoff double by former Blue Jay Vernon Wells against Casey Janssen (6-0).
Blue Jays starter Ricky Romero pitched nine strong innings, allowing both his runs on homers by Hunter and Mark Trumbo, but did not figure in the decision as he went for his 16th win of the season.
The Blue Jays had a chance to win the game for him in the ninth.
Edwin Encarnacion led off the bottom of the ninth with a single against reliever Bobby Cassevah.
Downs, a former Blue Jay, took over and Dewayne Wise ran for Encarnacion. Kelly Johnson put down a bunt that hugged the line for a hit as Downs watched it roll, hoping it would go foul. It didn’t and Johnson was safe at first.
Brett Lawrie of Langley, B.C., put down a sacrifice to put runners at second and third. With pinch-hitter Jose Molina at the plate, the Angels brought in Hunter from right field to the infield. Hunter returned to right field after Molina took a curveball for a third strike, a call that brought a protest from the hitter. Toronto catcher J.P. Arencibia lined out to Hunter to end the inning. That left Romero, who had had 20 groundball outs through nine innings, with nothing to show for his effort. He allowed six hits and no walks while striking out five.
Angels starter Jerome Williams left the game after 6 1/3 innings with the score tied at 2-2. He allowed six hits, three walks and two unearned runs while striking out three.
Hunter led off the second with his 21st homer of the season on a 3-2 fastball.
The Blue Jays could not take advantage of two singles in the first or a leadoff double in the third.
But they were able to turn a single, two walks and an error into a pair of unearned runs in the fourth.
Encarnacion opened the inning with a walk. Williams barehanded Johnson’s bouncer back to the mound but made an error on his throw in an attempt to get the force at second.
Lawrie walked to load the bases before Colby Rasmus appeared to have killed the rally when he hit into a double play on his grounder to first.
But Arencibia steered a grounder through the right side of the infield for a two-run single.
Trumbo tied it for the Angels when he led off the fifth with his 28th homer of the season, which leads major-league rookies. His 83 RBIs also lead major-league rookies with Arencibia in second at 78 along with 23 homers.