Blue Jays win walk-off in electrifying fashion

The Toronto Blue Jays walked it off on Tuesday night as Devon Travis scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the 12th.

Toronto loaded the bases in the final inning after Travis worked a 14-pitch walk in arguably the Jays’ best at-bat of the season. Jose Bautista then worked a walk of his own, bringing in one, before a Josh Donaldson ground ball brought home the tying run.

Starter Marcus Stroman left after six and two-thirds, allowing four runs on seven hits and striking out seven batters. With runners on second and third following a double, Stroman was lifted for Joe Biagini who, with the help of Troy Tulowitzki’s defence, needed just one pitch to escape the inning.

Toronto wasted no time getting to Andrew Cashner. After Jose Bautista led off with a walk, Josh Donaldson hit a two-run home run to deep centre field to put the Blue Jays out 2-0 early. Justin Smoak later added a home run of his own, a solo shot for his 12th of the season that put the Blue Jays ahead 3-1 in bottom of the fifth.

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After walking a very fine line with his control, Stroman finally caught too much of the zone in the top of the sixth. With two runners on base, Alex Dickerson hit a deep home run to left-centre field to take over the lead.

Melvin Upton Jr., acquired earlier in the day for prospect Hansel Rodriguez, made his Blue Jays debut in the seventh inning pinch-hitting for Smoak with two on and none out. Upton grounded into a fielder’s choice at second base.

With Brad Hand losing all strike zone awareness on the mound that inning, Russell Martin eventually scored from third on a wild pitch that was strike three to Jose Bautista. Toronto had an opportunity for much more in the inning, but Donaldson ended it with a pop-out into shallow left.

Biagini got the Blue Jays through the first two-thirds of the eighth before Brett Cecil handled the final out. Roberto Osuna pitched the ninth and had to work around two hit batters to keep the score tied. Jesse Chavez held the Padres in check for two innings, but allowed a two-run home run to Matt Kemp in the top of the 12th.

Wednesday’s series finale is an early afternoon start at 12:37 p.m. ET. R.A. Dickey (7-11, 4.44 ERA) is scheduled to face Luis Perdomo (4-4, 6.93 ERA).