that seemed to do it for us. We have to be mentally strong a

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CINCINNATI – Theres a lot to say about what happened at Great American Ballpark on Friday night but Erik Kratz needed only three words to aptly describe a 14-9 Blue Jays win over the Reds. "It was awesome," he said. Coming off an ugly three-game sweep at the hands of the Yankees, Toronto found itself in a deep ..................... early after the Reds put an eight spot up on starter Liam Hendriks (six runs in 1 2/3 innings pitched) and Todd Redmond in the second. All seemed lost, but then the offence, relatively dormant in a stretch of nine losses in 12 games, came to life. As it is with these Blue Jays, as it seems it must be, home runs played a significant role in the comeback. Edwin Encarnacion hit two. The first was the most important. Encarnacion took Mat Latos deep for a three-run shot in the third, a comparatively meek answer to Cincinnatis eight runs the half-inning prior, but the Jays were on the board nonetheless. Brett Lawrie hit a one out homer in the seventh to cut the deficit to 9-6. Three batters later, pinch hitter Juan Francisco hit a two-run shot off journeyman Reds reliever Jumbo Diaz. The score was 9-8, officially nail-biting time for the 33,103 predomiantly Reds fans in attendance. Encarnacion sealed the deal with another three-run home run in the ninth. By that time the Jays were ahead and the second deck shot extended the lead to 14-9. Suddenly, Encarnacion is baseballs leader with 23 home runs. He has three in two games, a sign hes coming out of his slump. "I think we got the emotion back," said Encarnacion. "Everybody in the dugout felt very happy. We felt we could come back." Starting catcher, Dioner Navarro, hit a two out, game-tying double off Jonathan Broxton in the eighth. His replacement in a double switch, Erik Kratz, hit the go-ahead double off flamethrower Aroldis Chapman in the ninth. That Jays put up runs on Cincinnatis formidable one-two bullpen punch (Broxton had a 0.40 ERA entering the game, Chapman a 0.98 ERA) was a feat in itself. "His ball, it comes out of a different slot, too," said Kratz of Chapman, who consistently throws a fastball harder than 100 miles per hour. "Hes coiled up and he comes at you with the noise and thats why hes had so much success." Adam Lind contributed a pinch hit RBI single. Jose Bautista walked four times. Brett Lawrie, who missed Thursdays game in New York with a bruised hand, returned and had three hits. Lawrie was one of six Blue Jays who registered a multi-hit performance. "Yeah, wed lost three in a row," said Kratz. "Yeah, we had lost three in a row but I dont think anybody was sitting here, like, Uh, are we going to win another game? Just like when we had won nine in a row but nobody ever said we had to win 20 in a row. We tried to win our 10th in a row and I think thats something the team does incredibly well. You saw tonight, grinding out each at-bat. Each at-bat that we grind out is just the way were going to play the game. We cant beat anybody tomorrow but we can beat them today." Manager John Gibbons wasnt aware of the specific details but hes been around long enough to know these types of comebacks are historic. "I may never see another game like that, you may never see another game like that so enjoy it and hope it leads to better things," said Gibbons. The eight-run comeback marked the second largest deficit the Blue Jays have overcome in the franchises 38-year history. Long-time fans, certainly those old enough to remember, will recall June 4, 1989 with fondness. The Jays trailed the Red Sox 10-0 at Fenway Park and rallied for a 13-11 win in 12 innings. VOTTO TALKS ENCARNACION Toronto-born Joey Votto is taking it in from a distance. Hes enjoying the success his former teammate and good buddy, Edwin Encarnacion, is enjoying in Vottos hometown. "Hes a teammate that I really am very fond of and Im very proud of him, how well hes done," said Votto. "There are some guys you tune into and you almost, I dont want to use the word awe but you watch and you think to yourself, what do I have to do to get my swing to that point? That May stretch certainly was like that and he and Bautista are two really fun guys to watch." Encarnacions 23 home runs lead Baltimores Nelson Cruz (22). His 62 RBIs also lead the Majors. So enamored was Votto with Encarnacions 16-home run month of May, he sent Encarnacion a text on the afternoon of May 29. Votto admitted the message was profanity-laced and jokingly disparaging. He called upon Encarnacion to hit two home runs in the Jays game against the Royals that night. Encarnacion did just that. "He didnt answer me back until the second home run in the seventh inning," said Votto. "He responded back that night and I asked for some hitting tips. He was kind of coy about it." Encarnacion and Votto were teammates in Cincinnati from the time Votto broke in to the big leagues, in 2007, until Encarnacion was traded to the Blue Jays in 2009. BAUTISTA AND TWITTER Jose Bautista is amongst the major leaguers most active on social media. He has accounts on Twitter and Instagram (@joeybats19) and maintains Facebook and Youtube pages. "Its part of being an athlete today," said Bautista. "If youre not taking advantage of social media and using it to interact with your fans and giving them a sneak peak into your personal life and how you prepare and what youre about then shame on you." If you give Bautista a Twitter follow, chances are hell follow you back. Bautista is closing in on 514-thousand followers. He follows almost 230-thousand accounts. "Im glad Ive been able to use it in the right way I believe," said Bautista. "Just connecting with the fans and giving them the access that theyve wanted for so long." Kyle Singler Thunder Jersey . Neither player was available Saturday for the Knicks 107-98 loss in Atlanta. "Were going in a different direction and weve got to figure out another spot or two for our ballclub," coach Mike Woodson said before the game. Steven Adams Thunder Jersey . -- The Los Angeles Clippers chose not to speak publicly about owner Donald Sterling before they faced the Golden State Warriors for Game 4 of their first-round series Sunday. http://www.prothundershop.com/cameron-p ... er-jersey/. Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night. Swingman Mitch McGary Jersey . Braden Calverts Winnipeg rink rallied to defeat Italy 8-7. After giving up three points in the second end, Calvert came back with a single, then stole two more points in the next two ends to tie it up at the fifth-end break. Cameron Payne Jersey . Josh Bailey had a goal and an assist as the New York Islanders earned a 2-1 win over Ottawa Wednesday, leaving the Senators five points out of a playoff spot with just five games to play and four teams ahead of them.SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Joe Pavelski got the puck to the right of the net and sent a one-timer wide in the final minute as he tried for that elusive first hat trick. Thats about the only thing that hasnt gone Pavelskis way of late. Pavelski scored two more goals and the San Jose Sharks beat Jimmy Howard for the ninth straight time in the regular season with a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night. Pavelski has three two-goal games this season and 22 in his career but is still seeking his first three-goal game in the NHL. "Itll happen, I bet," he said. "Hopefully. Well see. Well keep trying. That was one of the better looks Ive had at it, though." Dan Boyle and Andrew Desjardins also scored for the Sharks, who bounced back after losing two of three on a recent road trip. Antti Niemi made 24 saves to beat the Red Wings for the fourth straight time with just three goals allowed in that span. "We know its going to be a good competitive game against these guys," said captain Joe Thornton, who had two assists to give him a league-leading 45. "We werent very focused in Nashville but tonight I thought we got back on track and played solid for 60." Tomas Tatar scored the lone goal for the Red Wings, who began a tough three-game California swing with a loss. Detroit follows up this game with weekend visits to Los Angeles and Anaheim. The three California teams have just six regulation losses in 63 home games this season. Howard made 19 saves but allowed three goals in the second period to end his night and extend his struggles against the Sharks, who havent lost to him in the regular season in more than three years. San Joses 10 regular-season wins against Howard are the second most for any team, trailing only Chicagos 12. "We gave up two ugly goals," coach Mike Babcock said. "For whatever reason, they went up 3-1 and that seemed to do it for us. We have to be mentally strong and keep skating no matter what. With this group we need good discipline and good goaltending and we didnt get it." Howard allowed two soft goals in the second period to help the Sharks break open a close game. The onslaught started when Desjardins skateed into the offensive zone and beat Howard to the short side from a bad angle for his second goal of the season to make it 2-1.dddddddddddd Pavelski added to the lead when he knocked in the rebound of Brad Stuarts shot, giving him 12 goals in his last 15 games as he has excelled on a line with Thornton and Brent Burns. "Hes been really good," coach Todd McLellan said. "We need to keep him that way. When the team really needs him, he elevates his game. Thats the sign of a real good player. Again, playing with the two players that he does, hes just got to get himself in the right spot and find pucks, and he took advantage of it again." Boyle added to the lead on a power play when he beat Howard with a wrist shot from the circle that made it 4-1. The game got testy in the third period, starting with a fight between San Joses Tyler Kennedy and Kyle Quincey. There was another scrum that ended with Red Wings forward Todd Bertuzzi throwing his helmet at Tommy Wingels and then a later one between San Joses Scott Hannan and Dan Cleary. The teams traded goals in the first period with the Sharks striking fist when Thornton carried the puck into the offensive zone and waited patiently for Pavelski to break free of Henrik Zetterberg. Thornton then threaded a perfect pass into the slot that Pavelski one-timed past Howard for his 20th goal. The Red Wings answered late in the period when Tatar held the puck behind the net while Marc-Edouard Vlasic was without his stick. Tatar then skated in front and lifted a backhand past Niemi. "I saw the one guy without a stick and looked up to try and pass," Tatar said. "When no one came over to help I choose to take it. The puck was following me tonight. Its too bad I only scored one goal. I had plenty of other opportunities." NOTES: The Sharks got Wingels (upper .......) and Kennedy (flu) back in the lineup and sent F Freddie Hamilton back to the minors. ... San Jose also recalled D Matt Tennyson from Worcester as insurance with D Matt Irwin out with an upper-body injury. ... D Danny DeKeyser (groin) returned to the lineup for Detroit, but Fs Pavel Datsyuk (lower .......) and Darren Helm (groin) remain sidelined. China Jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '