Toronto’s Josh Donaldson is not one to pose and watch his home runs leave the park.
On Tuesday night, he couldn’t resist a slow walk out of the batter’s box as he ended the game in style.
Donaldson hit a three-run walkoff homer off Chicago closer David Robertson to give the Blue Jays a wild 10-9 victory over the White Sox at Rogers Centre. It was his second home run of the game and it gave Toronto its third straight victory.
"I enjoyed the feeling (when) it came off the bat," Donaldson said. "I’ll say that."
Josh Thole led off the ninth inning with a single and moved to third on a Jose Reyes double. Donaldson’s 12th homer of the year came on a 1-1 fastball and gave him his fifth run of the game.
"He’s one of those guys, he wants to be the guy — the hero," said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons. "He’s done it many times. It’s hard to do. Pressure situations in baseball, ability to come through, and you don’t do it all the time but it’s what separates a lot of guys."
The 17,276 fans in attendance roared their approval as the ball sailed over the wall in right field. Donaldson’s teammates surged out of the dugout to mob him at home plate.
"I think that’s the coolest part of it all," Donaldson said. "All your boys there sitting at home plate, the crowd going crazy and everybody is very exuberant because we just won the game and you were able to help accomplish that."
Jose Bautista had three doubles and drove in a season-high five runs as the Blue Jays improved to 22-26. Donaldson had four of Toronto’s 13 hits.
"He’s always full tilt," Toronto starter R.A. Dickey said of Donaldson. "I don’t think that he tries any harder in the first inning than he does in the ninth. I think that’s just the kind of player he is.
"He’s just a great baseball player."
It was Robertson’s second blown save of the season. He fell to 3-1 while Chicago (19-24) dropped its fourth in a row.
"It’s a tough position, being a closer," said White Sox manager Robin Ventura. "It’s an unforgiving position, especially if you don’t get it done."
Donaldson opened the scoring in the first inning with a solo homer off Chicago starter John Danks. There were six lead changes in the game, which lasted three hours 12 minutes.
Toronto had lost its last six one-run games. Jose Abreu hit a three-run shot in the fifth inning for Chicago, his eighth homer of the season.
The Blue Jays answered with three runs in the bottom half of the frame, capped by Bautista’s two-run double to the right-field corner. Chicago scored three runs off Liam Hendriks in the eighth before Toronto picked up its second walkoff win of the campaign.
"When they hit the ball they do damage," Robertson said. "You’ve got to keep it in the park and I wasn’t able to tonight."
Steve Delabar (1-0) got the last four outs for the victory. Toronto will go for the three-game sweep in a matinee on Wednesday.
Notes: Dickey allowed five earned runs, eight hits and two walks. Danks also worked five innings and gave up seven hits, six earned runs and a walk. Both starters had five strikeouts. … Bautista, who served as the designated hitter, missed the last two games after receiving a cortisone shot over the weekend. He hopes his sore right shoulder will be ready in time for a return to right field early next week. … Toronto catcher Dioner Navarro (hamstring strain) has been sent to triple-A Buffalo to begin a rehab assignment.
