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TORONTO (AP) — John McDonald singled home the go-ahead run in the 11th inning and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Minnesota 5-4 on Wednesday night, posting their eighth straight victory over the Twins.
Minnesota lost for the eighth time in 11 games and dropped to 5-8 with one game remaining on its season-long, 14-game road trip. The Twins fell one game behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central after Chicago beat Cleveland 4-2.
Toronto left-hander Jesse Carlson (6-1) worked one perfect inning to win for the second time in as many days.
Scott Rolen doubled off Eddie Guardado (3-4) to begin the 11th and went to third when Travis Snider dropped a single in front of Jason Kubel in left. Boof Bonser came on to face McDonald, who lofted a single to center over the drawn-in outfield.
It was back and forth in the late innings as Minnesota took a 4-3 lead with a two-out rally in the ninth against Toronto closer B.J. Ryan. Justin Mourneau doubled and Jason Kubel walked before both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Brendan Harris followed with a slow grounder up the middle, sliding safely into first ahead of the throw from second baseman Marco Scutaro.
Facing Twins closer Joe Nathan, the Blue Jays tied it in the bottom half. Gregg Zaun led off with a walk and was replaced by pinch-runner Curtis Thigpen. Two outs later, Travis Snider lined a single to right that Jason Pridie mishandled, allowing Thigpen to score and putting Snider at second. Nathan struck out John McDonald to send the game into extra innings.
Nathan worked out of a jam in the 10th as Toronto put the winning run at third with one out, but came up empty. Alex Rios tripled off the left field wall and Vernon Wells and Adam Lind were intentionally walked to load the bases, but Thigpen struck out and Lyle Overbay flied out.
Joe Inglett gave Toronto a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer in the third, but the Twins went ahead on Joe Mauer’s three-run double in the seventh.
Toronto tied it at 3-all in the bottom half with an unearned run off Twins starter Nick Blackburn.
Blue Jays starter A.J. Burnett allowed three runs and six hits in 6 2-3 innings. The right-hander walked four and struck out eight to give him 201 this season, the second time in his career he’s topped 200. He struck out a career-high 203 in 2002.
Blackburn gave up three runs in 6 2-3 innings and has not won in five starts. He walked none and struck out six.
Notes: Young (ankle) was held out of the starting lineup before pinch-hitting for Gomez in the seventh. ... The Twins matched a season-high with three errors. ... Nathan’s blown save was his sixth of the season. ... Toronto passed the 75 million mark in total franchise attendance (1977 to 2008) with a crowd of 21,475.
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