TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays have been forced to use a piecemeal lineup of late with so many everyday players out of action.
Some of those backups are taking full advantage of the opportunity.
Ryan Goins hit a bases-loaded single to give the Blue Jays an 8-7 walkoff victory over the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday night at Rogers Centre. Ezequiel Carrera — another backup — scored the winning run as the Blue Jays (13-21) came back from a four-run deficit to win consecutive series for the first time this year.
"Things have kind of flipped really in the month of May," said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons. "We’re starting to win some of those games that we couldn’t win earlier in the season.
"A lot of the time that’s what happens in baseball."
Carrera started the rally with a one-out single off Cody Allen (0-1), who issued back-to-back walks to Justin Smoak and Steve Pearce. Goins ripped the first pitch he saw down the right-field line to make a winner of Roberto Osuna (2-0), who worked one inning of relief.
"Coming back and bouncing back and getting back into a game is what we’re all about," Goins said. "We don’t really give up too easy or turn over and just let a team beat us to death.
"We scratched and clawed and got back into it and won the game."
Goins has been filling in for injured shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. Carrera started in right field with Jose Bautista serving as the designated hitter for the injured Kendrys Morales.
Bautista hit a three-run homer and Carrera added a two-run shot as the Blue Jays won the rubber match of the three-game set.
"Winning a series against one of the best teams in baseball is definitely important," Bautista said. "It gets us off on the right foot (on this homestand). Hopefully we can keep this momentum going."
The loss left the Indians (18-15) with a 4-5 record on their nine-game road trip.
"I’ve definitely played with fire a little bit the last few times out," Allen said. "The walks are killing me, the deep counts are killing me, and tonight it cost us a chance to win a ball game."
The teams combined for 14 runs over the first four innings as both starters were hit hard.
Jason Kipnis touched up Toronto starter Francisco Liriano for a two-run double in the first inning but Bautista answered in the bottom half with a blast just inside the left-field pole. He turned on a 3-2 pitch from Danny Salazar for his third homer of the season.
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Toronto reliever Dominic Leone came on in the third with the bases loaded and nobody out and gave up a bases-clearing double to Brandon Guyer, who was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple.
The runs were charged to Liriano, who allowed five hits, seven earned runs and three walks. His earned-run average jumped from 4.44 to 6.35.
The Blue Jays got a couple runs back in the bottom half. Pearce drove in Bautista with a sacrifice fly and Goins cashed in Smoak with a single.
Salazar worked 2 2/3 innings, allowing five hits, five earned runs and two walks while striking out four.
Darwin Barney led off the fourth with a double and scored when Carrera hit his third homer of the year to tie the game.
Announced attendance was 35,115 and the game took three hours 31 minutes to play.
Notes: Morales (hamstring) will be re-evaluated later in the week. … Tulowitzki (hamstring) is tentatively tabbed to play a rehab game in Florida on Saturday. He could return to the team Wednesday in Atlanta. … Michael Martinez replaced Cleveland centre-fielder Abraham Almonte (right shoulder) in the second inning. Roberto Perez came on for catcher Yan Gomes (illness) in the third. … Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker was ejected in the third inning by home plate umpire Vic Carapazza. … Toronto right-hander Marco Estrada (1-2, 3.14) is scheduled to start the opener of a four-game set against Seattle on Thursday night. The Mariners will send Chase De Jong (0-2, 6.75) to the hill.
