Estrada baffles Orioles, Blue Jays hold top spot in division

Josh Donaldson is making a push for another AL MVP Award, and the Toronto Blue Jays may be narrowing the field in the AL East.

Donaldson hit his fourth homer in two days and Jose Bautista also went deep in support of Marco Estrada, leading the Blue Jays over the fading Baltimore Orioles 5-1 on Monday night.

Toronto maintained a two-game lead over the Red Sox for the division lead, while Baltimore fell four games back. The Orioles have lost four of five and are clinging to the second wild card. 

Donaldson hit a solo homer in the fourth to tie it 1-1. The reigning AL MVP had three homers in a 9-6 win over Minnesota on Sunday.

"He's such a good player," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "When he's doing his thing, it makes such a big difference for this team. It really sets everything up. It really helps Eddie [Encarnacion] out behind him and those other guys to drive in runs when he's on base. What can you say? The last few years he's come into his own. He's one of the top dogs out there."

Estrada dominant

Estrada (8-6) allowed one run and four hits with four strikeouts over seven-plus innings. The Blue Jays have won three of his four starts against the Orioles this year.

"We used a lot of curveballs early on and they weren't really swinging at it so I was able to get a few called strikes with that," Estrada said. "I was able to locate a little better. I had a little better feel for my changeup today and just tried to throw strikes."

J.J. Hardy provided Baltimore's only run with his eighth homer in the third. But that's about all Baltimore could muster against Estrada.

"We've had trouble with him for a while," Hardy said. "He locates his pitches, kind of right on the top. His fastball is sneaky. He can elevate it. He can pitch down with it, and his changeup is a really tough pitch."

Baltimore left-hander Wade Miley (8-11) allowed three runs and five hits while tying a season high with nine strikeouts over seven innings. He has lost three of six starts since being acquired from Seattle on July 31.

"We just got to play ball," Miley said. "We've got plenty of games against Toronto. It's in our own hands. We've just got to play ball games."

'Like his old self' 

Miley retired the first 10 batters before allowing Donaldson's 34th home run. Troy Tulowitzki gave the Blue Jays a 2-1 lead later that inning with an RBI single.

Bautista provided a two-run cushion when he led off the sixth with his 16th homer, and that was all the support Estrada needed.

"He was like his old self," Gibbons said. "Good changeup, he was hitting his spots. He threw more breaking balls I thought tonight, and they were pretty good."

The Blue Jays added two more runs in the ninth on an RBI single by Justin Smoak and a fielder's choice by Devon Travis off Tommy Hunter.

Earlier in the day, Dioner Navarro reported to the Blue Jays, three days after the club re-acquired the catcher from the Chicago White Sox for LHP Colton Turner. Navarro played with Toronto in 2013-14 before signing with the White Sox in December. 

To make room, Josh Thole was designated for assignment.