Cleveland Indians' Grady Sizemore hits a RBI double during second inning MLB baseball action against the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto Tuesday, May 31, 2011. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren CalabreseDarren Calabrese/The Canadian Press
Right-hander Mitch Talbot, making his second start since coming off the disabled list, allowed one run in 6 2/3 innings as the Cleveland Indians defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 on Tuesday.
Catcher Carlos Santana was 3-for-3 with two RBIs and centre-fielder Grady Sizemore drove in two runs with two doubles as the Indians (32-20) the Blue Jays' four-game win streak.
Toronto fell to 28-27.
Toronto's Yunel Escobar hit his sixth homer of the season with one out in the ninth against reliever Tony Sipp.
Blue Jays right-hander Brandon Morrow (2-3) had a hit-or-miss night. He struck out nine in five innings, but also allowed nine hits, including five doubles and a triple. He gave up six runs before Luis Perez replaced him in the sixth.
Talbot (2-1) held the Blue Jays to six hits and three walks to pick up his first win since April 11.
Cleveland, which holds the American League's best record, scored a run in the second on doubles by Santana and Sizemore before Morrow struck out the next three batters in the inning.
The Indians added pair in the third started by Michael Brantley's triple, singles by Asdrubal Cabrera and Shin-soo Choo, a wild pitch and Santana's sacrifice fly.
The first three innings were feast or famine for Morrow. He ended the third by striking out Sizemore, his seventh of the game to that point.
Good defence by Cleveland snuffed a potential Blue Jays rally in the fourth.
After singles by J.P. Arencibia and Aaron Hill, first baseman Matt LaPorta made diving play on a smash down the line by Eric Thames and got the out at first as the runners advanced. Then shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera made a nifty play on a slow grounder to nip speedy Rajai Davis at first.
Cleveland parlayed a two-out walk to Travis Buck into three runsin the fifth. Buck scored on Santana's double to right when Hill's low relay to the plate beat the runner but handcuffed Arencibia. Santana took third on the throw.
Sizemore drove in a run with a double and scored on Orlando Cabrera's single.
The Blue Jays scored twice in the seventh after an error by Cabrera allowed Corey Patterson to score. Juan Rivera drove in a run on a bloop single to right that should have been caught.
Notes: Third baseman Brett Lawrie of Langley, B.C. is close to being called up from triple-A Las Vegas, Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos said before Tuesday's game. Lawrie, 21, is batting .354 with 15 homers and 49 RBIs and an OPS of 1.090. Anthopoulos said Lawrie's defence and approach at the plate have improved ...Toronto shortstop Yunel Escobar singled in the third inning to extend his hitting streak to 12 games, equalling his career best. It also is a season-best for the Blue Jays. ...Attendance at Rogers Centre was 14,556. ...Kyle Drabek (3-3, 4.16 ERA) will start the series finale for Toronto Wednesday against Josh Tomlin (6-2, 2.74 ERA).