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Bautista, Rasmus help Jays power past Brewers

Jun 20, 2012 - 4:59 AM Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - Colby Rasmus and Jose Bautista each hit their second home run of the game in the top of the ninth inning to lift the Toronto Blue Jays over the Milwaukee Brewers, 10-9, in the middle test of a three-game interleague set.

Rasmus and Bautista also homered along with Edwin Encarnacion as a part of back-to-back-to-back blasts in the sixth inning, while Brett Lawrie added a two-run shot for Toronto, which won for the fourth time in five games.

Darren Oliver (1-2) tossed a perfect eighth inning to earn the win before Casey Janssen worked around a two-out single in the ninth to record his seventh save of the year.

John Axford (1-4) gave up Rasmus' and Bautista's home runs to take the loss for the Brewers, who have dropped two of their last three.

Aramis Ramirez hit his 10th career grand slam in a losing effort.

Milwaukee starter Tyler Thornburg made his major league debut in place of Shaun Marcum, who was sidelined with tightness in his right elbow, and allowed five runs on seven hits with no walks over 5 1/3 innings.

"I don't feel too bad considering I gave up seven hits and didn't walk any one. They got four big hits and that was the key. I just ran out of gas," said Thornburg. "I still shouldn't have left some balls up like that, but that will happen with good hitters."

Jesse Chavez made his first career start for Toronto and struggled with his command, allowing four runs on three hits, four walks and a hit batter in just 2 2/3 innings.

Axford started the ninth inning for the Brewers holding a 9-8 advantage, but Rasmus opened the frame by pulling a 3-1 fastball just inside the right-field foul pole to knot the game.

Bautista quickly broke the tie four pitches later when he hammered a ball off the base of the second deck in right field.

"It was just an outstanding offensive night. We battled and never let down," Blue Jays manager John Farrell said. "Colby and Jose had two big swings off their closer that turned the game around."

Janssen then retired the first two batters in the bottom of the ninth before Cody Ransom hit a pinch-hit single up the middle to place the tying run on base, but pinch-hitter Taylor Green pulled a ball into the shift on the right side of the infield to end the game.

Toronto struck first in the third inning on Lawrie's two-run blast to straightaway center field. J.P. Arencibia singled prior to Lawrie's seventh homer of the year.

But the Brewers quickly answered in the bottom of the frame to take the lead. Thornburg started the rally with a double into the left-center field gap for his first career hit and came home two batters later on Carlos Gomez's two- bagger.

After back-to-back walks by Ryan Braun and Ramirez loaded the bases with two outs, Chavez hit Corey Hart with a pitch and issued two more free passes to Rickie Weeks and Martin Maldonado to give Milwaukee a 4-2 lead.

Carlos Villanueva then took the bump and fanned Edwin Maysonet to put an end to the inning.

The Blue Jays left a man on second in the fifth inning, but rallied in the sixth to take the lead, starting with three straight one-out home runs by Rasmus, Bautisa and Encarnacion to knock Thornburg off the mound.

Tim Dillard entered in relief and allowed a two-out single to Yunel Escobar, who advanced to second on a Rajai Davis walk and came home on Arencibia's base hit to left to give Toronto a 6-4 edge.

The lead was shortlived, however, as Milwaukee loaded the bases with one out off Robert Coello in the bottom of the sixth before Braun worked a walk off Jason Frasor and Ramirez pulled the second pitch of his at-bat well over the left-center field wall to put the Brewers on top, 9-6.

In the seventh inning, Bautista was able to cross the plate on Braun's throwing error to third on an Encarnacion base hit, and after Kelly Johnson reached base on a wild pitch during a strikeout which would have ended the inning, Escobar singled in Encarnacion to make it a one-run game.

Game Notes

Toronto recorded back-to-back-back home runs for the sixth time in franchise history...Chavez had made 144 career appearances out of the bullpen prior to his start on Tuesday...Braun extended his hit streak to 14 games. He also has a 24-game hit streak during interleague play...Bautista has reached base safely in 19 straight games...The Brewers lead the all-time series between the teams, 159-116.