Encarnacion hits 10th-inning HR, Blue Jays beat Orioles 4-3

Duensing allowed back-to-back homers to Encarnacion and Michael Saunders in the eighth.

Now it seems he can’t miss when he steps up to the plate. The Phillies are 7-0 when he doesn’t give up a home run and 0-5 in the five games he’s allowed a homer.

“We know they’re going to be competitive”, Showalter said. “Sure, they might change and come inside but if they don’t I’m going to keep my approach and keep doing the same”.

With Baltimore leading 4-3, after righty starter Mike Wright gave up a lead-off single to Kevin Pillar in the sixth inning, Showalter went to lefty T.J. McFarland, his freshest relief arm, knowing he needed some length.

Daniel Murphy hit a solo homer in the fifth for the Nationals, whose three-game winning streak was snapped.

J.A. Happ had one of his worst starts of the year earlier this week when he lost to the Detroit Tigers on the road.

This is all to say that Happ pitched pretty well Saturday, all things considered.

And it’s certainly helped having Saunders batting behind him, the way the pride of Victoria, B.C, has been swinging the bat.

“That was a good win”.

“Obviously it’s a little bit of a shorter summer this year so just trying to prepare as well as I can for that”, he said. Ervin Santana (1-6) pitched 6 1/3 innings and surrendered five runs and nine hits for Minnesota, which has lost four of its last six, but had taken the first two games of the series with Miami.

Along with teammates, he attended Game 3 of the ALDS between the Blue Jays and Texas Rangers last October and this season he’s been following the team, although it was hard when he was in Europe for the World Championships last month.

“I thought that was a big game for us (Friday) because of the way the one (Thursday) night got away”, Gibbons said, referring to the Orioles’ comeback 6-5 win in the series opener. “The sky is not falling. It was a good game today”.

He said he was burned by the free passes, and also offered mixed reviews of Encarnacion.

“He’s one of the best hitters I think I’ve faced”, Wright said. “He’s really good but he’s also got holes”. With the game tied 2-2, the Marlins notched eight hits in the seventh off a trio of Twins pitchers, snapping a two-game losing streak.

Orioles (36-24) at Blue Jays (33-30), 1:07 p.m. ET – The Orioles were supposed to be the doormats of the American League East this season, but have surprised everyone by heading into mid-June atop the division.

ROCKIES 5, PADRES 3 (at Denver) – Charlie Blackmon hit a tiebreaking solo homer off the foul pole in the fifth and Tyler Chatwood effectively threw into the seventh for Colorado. He’s now hitting.306/.376/.600 with 16 homers and 39 RBI on the season, though he has yet to contribute a stolen base. His 14th homer of the year came after Manny Machado reached on a walk.

The Blue Jays led 3-0 after three innings. Josh Donaldson lashed an opposite-field single to bring Carrera home with the unearned run.

The Orioles did not have a runner on base until Hyun Soo Kim walked with one out in the fourth inning.

Right-hander Jason Grilli pitched around a single in the ninth to finish the game.

Molina’s third hit of the game sent St. Louis to its fourth victory in five games.

Blue Jays: OF Jose Bautista (right thigh) ran on the field before the game but was held out of the lineup for a second straight game…. Carrera replaced him in right field and in the leadoff spot….

Wainwright had a rough first inning, giving up Jay Bruce’s RBI groundout and Adam Duvall’s run-scoring single.

The Blue Jays outhit the Orioles 13-12.

Osuna (2-1) suffered the loss, while Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy (2-1) picked up the win.