Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Dan Haren tossed eight innings and was potent at the plate, driving in three runs, helping the Diamondbacks past the Blue Jays, 8-6, in a home run-hitting affair to start interleague play.
Jays Slug Six Homers Against Arizona, And Lose
Haren (5-3) surrendered four runs while striking out eight and walking none for the win; he also doubled twice in four at-bats. After Juan Gutierrez allowed two of Toronto's six home runs in the ninth, Chad Qualls entered and secured the victory with his eighth save.
Adam LaRoche and Chris Young left the yard for the Diamondbacks, who have won a season-high three straight.
Edwin Encarnacion put on a show with his first career three-homer effort for the Blue Jays, who have dropped consecutive contests. Fred Lewis, Jose Bautista and Adam Lind all homered in the losing effort, as Toronto became the second team in MLB history to hit six solo shots in a game.
Brandon Morrow (3-4) surrendered six runs on eight hits in four frames for the loss.
The two teams, both of whom entered the day in the top three in home runs for the season, combined for an astounding eight blasts. The only inning in which neither team scored was the third.
The Diamondbacks held a four-run lead entering the ninth, but Encarnacion capped off his stellar performance with his third blast with two outs in the ninth off Gutierrez, who allowed pinch-hitter Lind to do the same in the next at-bat. Chad Qualls was summoned to lock down the win and got Aaron Hill to pop up to end the game.
Lewis started off the game with a bang, blasting a homer to right for a 1-0 lead, but LaRoche drove a two-run blast to right in the second to hand Arizona a 2-1 lead.
Three consecutive doubles to start the fourth made it 4-1 D'backs, as Mark Reynolds drove in a pair of runs. After Young singled and Chris Snyder popped out, Haren aided his cause and doubled in two more runs.
Encarnacion continued the long ball trend to start the fifth, cutting the deficit to 6-2 with a shot to left.
The D'backs added to their lead in the sixth. After Snyder drew a leadoff walk, Haren drove in his third RBI of the night with his second double, this one off Josh Roenicke.
Encarnacion drilled his second homer in the seventh with one down to pull the Jays within 7-3, but Young hit a solo shot in the bottom half off Casey Janssen to regain a five-run edge for Arizona.
Another home run in the eighth, courtesy of Bautista, pulled Toronto back within four.
These two clubs hadn't met since 2004, when Arizona took two of three in Toronto...Snyder's current 228-game errorless streak is the third-longest streak in Major League history by a catcher...The last team to hit six solo homers in a game was the Oakland Athletics during the 1991 season...Despite the power, Toronto went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position...D'backs outfielder Justin Upton finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored...The last team to hit six homers in a game and lose was the Orioles on August 28, 2007, when they lost to Tampa Bay.
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