Tulowitzki lifts Toronto over Twins in extras

[May 20, 2016]  MINNEAPOLIS -- Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki thought he had the go-ahead hit in the ninth inning Thursday against the Minnesota Twins.

Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (2) hits an RBI single in the eleventh inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Minnesota Twins 3-2 in 11 innings. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Turns out, he had to wait two more innings to play the role of hero.

Tulowitzki's two-out RBI single was enough to lift the Blue Jays to a 3-2 win over the Twins in 11 innings at Target Field.

The decisive off Twins reliever Fernando Abad drove in pinch runner Ezequiel Carrera from second base. The Blue Jays had previously rallied from an early 2-0 deficit thanks to a two-run home run from Edwin Encarnacion in the sixth inning that helped set up extras.

Toronto (20-23) snapped a season-high five-game losing streak.

"We needed a win pretty bad," Blue Jays starting pitcher Marco Estrada said. "I'm glad we were able to pull this off. I think we lost five in a row, and that's tough, especially for a team as good as this one."

Minnesota (10-30) lost its fourth in a row and dropped to 20 games below .500. The Twins are now tied with the Atlanta Braves for the worst record in the majors.

Tulowitzki's heroics came two innings after a nice defensive effort by Minnesota put a stop to what would have been a crucial hit for the veteran shortstop.

With two outs in the ninth inning, Tulowitzki send a drive to deep left-center field. Michael Saunders was on second base when the ball left Tulowitzki's bat and likely would have scored the go-ahead run, but Minnesota center fielder Danny Santana chased the ball down and made a leaping catch to rob Tulowitzki and preserve the 2-2 tie.

Tulowitzki, who is batting just .196 on the year, didn't let that at-bat linger. His two-out, two-strike single in the 11th was a bit of redemption.

"That's what you come to the park for every day is to try to help your team win," said Tulowitzki, who went 1-for-5. "When you're that guy that gets that winning hit or helps defensively or makes a game-saving catch, it really makes it that much more special."

Estrada allowed two runs, one earned, on only three hits and a walk in eight innings. He also struck out nine before giving way to the bullpen, but he didn't factor in the decision.

Minnesota managed just four hits -- all singles -- in the loss.

"We just didn't have enough offense to find a way to win that game," Twins manager Paul Molitor said.

Ervin Santana had the longest outing of any Minnesota starting pitcher this year. Santana got through eight innings and allowed just four hits and two runs. Only one other Twins starter -- Ricky Nolasco -- has recorded an out in the eighth inning so far this season. Nolasco did so back on April 26.

The only blip for Santana was a two-run homer off the bat of Encarnacion, who tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the sixth inning. Encarnacion's two-run shot to the second deck in left field was his seventh home run in 20 career games at Target Field. It drove in Josh Donaldson, who drew a walk immediately before Encarnacion's at-bat.

"Everything was working the way we wanted," Ervin Santana said. "I like the way we played today. Everybody was aggressive. I like it. Even though we lost, I liked the way we played today."

Minnesota got on the board in the first inning with an unearned run against Estrada. An error by second baseman Jimmy Paredes eventually led to Miguel Sano's sacrifice fly.

Joe Mauer put the Twins ahead 2-0 with a two-out single to center in the bottom of the third inning. Mauer initially took second base on the play after a throw from center fielder Kevin Pillar, but Mauer was ruled out after Toronto challenged the call. A review showed Mauer was tagged after over-sliding second base, ending the inning.

NOTES: The Twins selected the contract of OF Robbie Grossman from Triple-A Rochester. Grossman spent parts of three seasons with the Houston Astros, batting .240 with 11 home runs in 190 major league games. ... Minnesota optioned OF Eddie Rosario to Rochester after he hit .209 with 11 RBI in 32 games. ... Toronto RF Jose Bautista batted leadoff for the first time since 2010. Bench coach DeMarlo Hale, filling in for suspended manager John Gibbons, said he made the move with the hope of jump-starting the Blue Jays' offense. Bautista batted third in 41 of Toronto's first 42 games this year. ... The four-game series between the Blue Jays and Twins continues Friday at Target Field. RHP Aaron Sanchez (3-1, 3.29 ERA) gets the start for Toronto. He will be opposed by Minnesota RHP Tyler Duffey (1-2, 1.85 ERA).

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