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Kluber, Indians crushed by Jays

Estrada told Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi and other reporters that he may not have pitched last Saturday had the Jays not been in desperate need of an innings-eater after Friday’s 19-inning marathon.

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In Sunday’s loss, catcher Chris Gimenez pitched the last two innings for the Indians after entering the game in the sixth at third base. The Indians will counter with right-hander Corey Kluber (8-7, 3.50). In June, he was 4-1 with a 2.19 ERA.

Blue Jays designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion was suspended for one game by Major League Baseball on Sunday and fined an undisclosed amount for making contact with an umpire. The Blue Jays’ eight-run sixth inning is a new high-water mark for the season. He walked four and struck out four in his second shortest start of the season.

He was so sore in his start Saturday he had trouble bending over to pick up a baseball, and exited the dugout after the first inning to obtain a back brace so he could pitch the rest of his start.

“I’m just trying to be myself”, Tulowitzki said.

Asked how his back was Sunday morning, he replied “terrible”, and when Thursday’s outing against the Detroit Tigers was brought up, he said it would “probably” be wise to miss the turn. “It all starts with fastball command”. It was tough. I gave it all I had today.

Blue Jays: LHP J.A. Happ (10-3, 3.70 ERA) gets the ball on Sunday.

Miami’s J.T. Realmuto homered and drove in two runs as the Marlins beat Atlanta 5-2 in a game played at a U.S. Army post where the ballpark was built from scratch in less than four months.

“If you’re looking at it from the seventh inning on from [Saturday], you’re thinking, “Okay, you lose three here, that’s tough, then you’re going against Kluber, possibly get swept” – I think that was going through some people’s minds”, Tulowitzki said. The Blue Jays wore red shirts, hats and socks.

They were waiting for him in the eighth.

Dioner Navarro drove in a season-high four runs for Chicago, which has won three of four. Donaldson followed with a single to center that scored Carrera with the go-ahead run.

“They are the ones that control the decision”, Encarnacion said of the league office, “but they know I am not that type of person”.

New York’s Mark Teixeira hit his 400th and 401st career home runs to lift the Yankees to a 6-3 win at San Diego, avoiding a three-game sweep.

McAllister was pulled after a 31-pitch opening frame and replaced by Jeff Manship, who also worked an inning.

CARDINALS 3, BREWERS 0: Adam Wainwright pitched seven innings and Kolten Wong had a two-run triple, leading St. Louis to the win.

PITCHf/x, which charts all MLB’s pitches, registered Gimenez’s 33 pitches as knuckleballs or changeups.

“Hopefully it’s not too serious”, Estrada said.

The Tribe bullpen allowed 12 earned runs, the most since they allowed 13 against the A’s on July 10, 2004. After Martin’s RBI single, Justin Smoak capped off a four-run inning with a two-run home run, his ninth of the season.

Tyler Flowers had three doubles for the Braves, while Jace Peterson, Freddie Freeman, Nick Markakis, Erick Aybar and Chase d’Arnaud all had two hits in the 14-hit outburst.

With Estrada’s health in question, Drew Hutchison has earned a longer stay with the Blue Jays. It was Toronto’s 15th sellout. The roof was open.

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The win also gave Toronto (45-39) a four-game series split with the Indians.

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