Jays hit three homers but drop game to Brewers

MILWAUKEE – When Jose Bautista hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning to complete a Toronto comeback from a five-run deficit, it tied the score and gave all the momentum to the Blue Jays.

But Aramis Ramirez quickly responded by hitting a liner down the left-field line that was ruled a home run after umpires reversed a foul ball call using video replay, lifting the Milwaukee Brewers to a 7-6 victory over Toronto on Monday night.

Ramirez led off the bottom of the seventh with his eighth home run of the year.

"That was a game-changer," Toronto's Brett Lawrie said of Bautista's 20th home run. "Unfortunately, the next guy that came up just nicked the wall and they went up by one and that's all she wrote."

Ramirez hit a 1-2 pitch off rookie Robert Coello (0-1) that hit the outside corner of a yellow pad below the foul pole but above the fence line. Third base umpire Paul Nauert ruled it a foul ball. He agreed to check video replay after discussing the play with Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke and third base coach Ed Sedar while watching a fan dramatically pound the pad in question.

Umpires spent about 90 seconds checking the replay, before returning and signaling a home run for Ramirez, his eighth of the year.

Lawrie, who opened the game with his sixth homer of the year, had not seen the replay immediately after the game.

"From my angle it was just weird because of the way the wall just sticks out," said Lawrie, who was the Brewers first-round draft choice in the 2008 June free agent draft before being traded to the Blue Jays before the 2010 season.

"The way the bottom of the pad sticks out, it could have kind of gone either way," he said. " Unfortunately for us, it didn't."

Kameron Loe (4-2) was credited with the win despite allowing Bautista to hit a game-tying three-run home run in the top of the seventh. John Axford pitched the ninth for his 12th save in 15 chances.

The Blue Jays trailed 6-1 before rallying to tie the game.

"We had a very good offensive approach," Toronto manager John Farrell said. "Even though we got down early, 6-2, we felt like we could swing the bats against Wolf - and that's not to take anything away from him. "I thought we matched up well with him."

Edwin Encarnacion also homered for Toronto, with the ball traveling an estimated 463 feet and landing on Bernie Brewer's slide in left field.

Toronto starter Henderson Alvarez continued to struggle, giving up six runs on 11 hits and two walks with one strikeout in four innings. In his last seven starts, the right-hander is 0-5 with a 6.29 ERA, allowing hitters to bat .350 (63-180).

"We've got to get him straightened out," Farrell said. "Given where our pitching is at, we need innings from the guys that have been here from the start of the year in the rotation. This is a tough remedy right now, to ask so much of our bullpen every night."

Notes: After the game, Toronto recalled RHP Jesse Chavez from Triple-A Las Vegas to start Tuesday night's game. The Blue Jays optioned LHP Evan Crawford to Las Vegas to make room on the roster. . Toronto RHP Kyle Drabek (4-7 with a 4.67 ERA in 13 starts) will undergo ulnar collateral ligament surgery on his pitching elbow Tuesday, the Blue Jays said. It will be the second time he has had the surgery. The first time was when he was in high school.