Tuesday, May 28, 2013
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Hudson struggles again, Braves lose to Jays 9-3

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[May 28, 2013]  TORONTO (AP) -- Tim Hudson hasn't had a whole lot to celebrate since earning his 200th win.

Edwin Encarnacion hit a three-run homer, Colby Rasmus and J.P. Arencibia both had a two-run shot and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Hudson and the Atlanta Braves 9-3 on Monday night.

Hudson has won just once in five starts since beating Washington for victory No. 200 on April 30. He's allowed five runs or more in three of his past four outings, and hasn't pitched past the sixth inning in any of them.

"Obviously, the results stink for me right now and for our club," Hudson said. "I feel confident that things are going to be a lot better, hopefully really soon."

Hudson said he's working to clean up some "bad habits" in his delivery that have contributed to his recent struggles.

"Sometimes I have a tendency of my backside collapsing a little bit, not staying tall and getting good downward angle on some of my pitches," he said. "When things flatten out a little bit, that's usually where the problem source comes from."

Hudson (4-4) matched a season worst by allowing six runs and eight hits in six innings, extending his winless streak to four starts.

"Health is good, that's the number one concern, and I don't have any concern over that," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He's just going through a couple of little rough patches."

Evan Gattis hit his 11th homer, a two-run shot off Brad Lincoln in the eighth, but the Braves lost their second straight following an eight-game winning streak.

Colby Rasmus also doubled off his younger brother, Braves rookie reliever Cory Rasmus, but Toronto lost third baseman Brett Lawrie to a sprained ankle.

Colby Rasmus said he was conflicted about stepping in and then getting a hit against Cory, who is about 15 months younger.

"It was a strange feeling," he said. "Lot of emotions going on. It was awesome and terrible at the same time."

The brother vs. brother matchup wasn't as draining for Cory.

"It's not the outcome you wanted," he said. "It was still awesome."

Encarnacion went 2 for 5 with five RBIs as the Blue Jays improved to 3-0 in interleague play. Toronto has won nine of 12 against NL opponents dating to last season.

Mark Buehrle (2-3) allowed one run and five hits in six innings to snap a seven-start winless streak and earn his 26th career interleague victory. The veteran left-hander, whose previous win was April 15, is the all-time leader in interleague wins.

"He made some pitches through the course of the night that kept us off balance," Gonzalez said.

Buehrle walked two and struck out six. He retired 11 of his first 13 batters and didn't allow a hit until Gattis' two-out double in the fourth.

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Lincoln worked two innings and Thad Webber finished for the Blue Jays.

Lawrie left in the sixth after spraining his left ankle sliding into second on a stolen base. He initially stayed in the game but was visibly hobbled advancing to third on Emilio Bonifacio's grounder. Mark DeRosa came on to pinch run, then replaced Lawrie at third base.

The Blue Jays said Lawrie is day to day.

"I didn't feel a pop or anything like that, so that was a great sign," Lawrie said.

Adam Lind doubled leading off the second and, one out later, Colby Rasmus hit his eighth homer into the second deck.

"We got behind the 8-ball right off the get-go with that," Gonzalez said.

Toronto added two more in the third. Melky Cabrera walked, Jose Bautista doubled and both runners scored on Encarnacion's single.

Buehrle's shutout bid ended in the fifth when Chris Johnson doubled and scored on a two-out single by Andrelton Simmons.

After Lind walked to begin the sixth, Arencibia followed with a shot to center, his 12th.

Toronto put it away in the seventh against Cory Rasmus. Cabrera doubled, Bautista walked and Encarnacion hit a first-pitch homer, his team-high 14th.

Watching his brother give up Encarnacion's long drive was tough on Colby Rasmus.

"My gut kind of wrenched up a little bit," he said.

 

Two batters later, Rasmus doubled off his brother, the first time they had faced each other in the majors.

"I was hoping our brother would get the better end of that one, but he didn't," Gonzalez said.

It was the first time brothers had gone head-to-head in a big league game since June 13, 2010, when pitchers Jered and Jeff Weaver squared off in an interleague meeting between the Los Angeles Angels and Dodgers.

NOTES: Braves OFs Jason Heyward and B.J. Upton were rested. Heyward had played nine straight games since returning from an appendectomy May 17. Upton is batting .148. ... Atlanta RHP Jordan Walden (shoulder) threw one scoreless inning in a rehab outing for Triple-A Gwinnett. ... Braves bench coach Carlos Tosca managed the Blue Jays from 2002-04.

[Associated Press; IAN HARRISON]

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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