TORONTO – The Los Angeles Angels are stumbling into their showdown with first-place Texas.
Hisanori Takahashi surrendered Edwin Encarnacion's game-ending RBI single in the 10th inning and the Angels lost 5-4 to the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday.
"Not a good road trip," Angels outfielder Torii Hunter said of the 2-4 swing through New York and Toronto. "We'll just have to try and bounce back, starting tomorrow."
Second in the AL West, the Angels return home Monday to open a four-game series against Texas. The Angels play the Rangers seven times in their next 12 games.
"It's make or break here coming up," starter Dan Haren said. "This is probably one of the toughest stretches of our schedule."
Sunday's defeat was the fifth time this season the Angels have lost when leading after eight innings.
"We feel that if we get leads on a consistent basis, we're going to hold them," manager Mike Scioscia said. "Our issue has been the margins by which we've been getting leads late has been very, very tight. With deep offenses, that one-run lead in the eighth or ninth puts a lot of pressure on guys."
Yunel Escobar walked to begin the 10th against Fernando Rodney (2-5). Mark Teahen struck out and Jose Bautista walked before Takahashi came on to retire Adam Lind on a popup. Encarnacion followed with a base hit up the alley in left-center, scoring Escobar with the winning run as Encarnacion's teammates ran out and mobbed him at second base.
"He feels very good at the plate and is obviously seeing the ball well," Blue Jays manager John Farrell said of Encarnacion, who is on a season-high 13-game hitting streak. "He's not expanding the strike zone, he's getting good pitches to hit, and he has done an excellent job for us."
Jon Rauch (5-3) pitched one inning for Toronto.
The Angels had a 4-3 lead in the ninth inning but Colby Rasmus hit a one-out double against All-Star closer Jordan Walden and rookie Brett Lawrie followed with a double to center.
"I missed with a couple of fastballs," Walden said. "I should have kept them down. One of those days, I guess."
It was Walden's major league-leading eighth blown save opportunity of the season. The rookie has blown six on the road, also most in the big leagues.
Bautista hit his major league-leading 34th homer and Eric Thames also connected for the Blue Jays, who had lost six of 10 coming in.
"Jordan is still going through his growing pains as a closer," Scioscia said. "He just couldn't close out that ninth."
Walden's blown save spoiled a solid effort by Haren, who allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings.
The Angels opened the scoring with a two-out rally in the first. Bobby Abreu singled and came home when Hunter followed with a drive to left, his 15th.
Peter Bourjos tripled in the third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Alberto Callaspo but the Blue Jays closed the gap with two runs in the fourth.
Haren set down the first 10 batters in order before Thames homered to right. Bautista followed with a drive to center, breaking a tie with New York Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson. It was the seventh time this season the Blue Jays have gone back-to-back.
Bautista had gone 3 for 28 with 11 strikeouts since his most recent homer, Aug. 4 at Tampa Bay.
The Angels made it 4-2 in the fifth on back-to-back doubles by Bobby Wilson and Bourjos but Toronto answered in the sixth when John McDonald doubled, took third on a fly ball and scored on a groundout by Thames.
McDonald reached on an infield single to begin the eighth against Downs and moved to second on Escobar's sacrifice. Rajai Davis hit for Thames and hit a grounder to shortstop, with McDonald getting thrown out at third. Davis tore his left hamstring while running to first, and was replaced by Mark Teahen.
Blue Jays left-hander Brett Cecil allowed four runs and five hits in seven innings, the fifth time in six starts he has worked at least seven.
NOTES: Davis was placed on the 15-day disabled list and the Blue Jays recalled Mike McCoy from Triple-A Las Vegas. ... Angels C Jeff Mathis, who was hit on the left hand by a pitch Saturday, did not start. X-rays were negative. ... Lawrie swiped third in the ninth, his first career stolen base. ... Toronto 2B Aaron Hill sat out his second straight game but general manager Alex Anthopoulos insisted Hill has not lost his starting job. Hill is stuck in a 6-for-36 slump. McDonald made his second consecutive start in place of Hill. ... The Blue Jays signed three picks from the June draft, including third-round pick RHP John Stilson.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.