Jose Bautista hits grand slam, Fred Lewis also goes deep as Blue Jays beat Indians 8-1
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jose Bautista hit a grand slam, his major league-leading 31st home run, Fred Lewis added a solo shot and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Cleveland Indians 8-1 on Friday night, their sixth win in seven games.
Bautista went 3 for 3 and walked twice before being lifted for a pinch-runner in the eighth inning.
The Blue Jays have homered in 11 consecutive games, hitting 27 over that span, and lead the major leagues with 157, including league highs at home (87) and in July (42).
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Bautista leads the majors with 11 home runs this month. Nineteen of his homers this season have come at Rogers Centre.
Shaun Marcum (10-4) pitched seven innings to win his third straight start. The right-hander allowed one run and three hits, walked none and struck out a season-high 10, one shy of his career best.
Marcum was perfect through the first four innings but Indians catcher Carlos Santana led off the fourth with a single off the glove of first baseman Lyle Overbay. Austin Kearns followed with a double past Edwin Encarnacion at third before Matt LaPorta ended Marcum's shutout bid with a sacrifice fly.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Casey Janssen pitched the eighth and Shawn Camp worked the ninth for Toronto.
Kearns was lifted for pinch-runner Chris Gimenez after singling in the seventh.
Lewis opened the third with a drive to center, his seventh, and Bautista hit his third career slam in Toronto's six-run, 10-batter fourth. Encarnacion and Yunel Escobar hit RBI singles in the inning, with all the damage coming off Indians starter Justin Masterson (3-10).
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Toronto chased Masterson in the sixth when Escobar singled, went to third when Bautista singled off the right-hander's foot and scored on a wild pitch.
Masterson, who has not won in five starts, allowed eight runs and 13 hits in 5 1-3 innings. He walked two and struck out three.
Cleveland has lost six of seven and has dropped 27 of its past 42 road games.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Toronto's Adam Lind went 0 for 5 and was the only Blue Jays starter not to get a hit.
NOTES: Cleveland DH Travis Hafner (shoulder) missed his second straight start. ... The Indians placed RHP Mitch Talbot (sore back) on the 15-day DL and optioned RHP Jess Todd to Triple-A Columbus. Cleveland recalled RHP Jensen Lewis and purchased the contract of RHP Justin Germano from Triple-A. ... Toronto recalled OF Travis Snider from Double-A New Hampshire. Snider has not played since May 15 because of a sore right wrist.