Blue Jays homer their way to 8-4 win over Angels

Toronto 8, Angels 4

KEY MOMENT: It appeared Angels starter Matt Shoemaker might pitch out of a jam when he got Josh Donaldson to pop to shortstop for the second out of the fifth inning with two on and the Angels trailing, 2-1. But Jose Bautista grounded a run-scoring single to right field, and Edwin Encarnacion lined a three-run homer to left, the four-run rally pushing the Blue Jays’ lead to 6-1.

AT THE PLATE: Toronto knuckleballer R.A. Dickey allowed 13 earned runs and 17 hits in 11 innings of his previous two starts, but he threw a complete game Thursday night, allowing four runs and five hits, striking out seven and walking two to improve to 2-5. Marc Krauss hit a solo homer to right in the first. David Freese hit an RBI double in the seventh and a two-run homer to center in the ninth, his eighth of the season. Freese hit his eighth homer of 2014 on Sept. 12.

ON THE MOUND: Shoemaker allowed 14 homers in 136 innings last season, when he went 16-4 with a 3.04 earned-run average and finished second in American League rookie-of-the-year voting. He has already given up an AL-high 13 homers in 44 1/3 innings this season, his record falling to 3-4 with a 6.29 ERA after he was rocked for eight runs — seven earned — and eight hits in six innings Thursday. “I’ve got to turn it around quickly so I can help this team out,” said Shoemaker, who has been in too many hitter’s counts and is leaving too many pitches up. “I don’t want to keep putting us in a bad situation.”

INJURY REPORT: The inside of Albert Pujols’ left hand was too sore and swollen to play on Thursday, but Pujols felt — and looked — far better than he did Wednesday night, when he was hit by a 93-mph Drew Hutchinson fastball. A CT scan showed no broken bones, and Pujols hopes to return Friday in Boston. “My hand swelled up twice as much yesterday — I couldn’t feel my fingers,” Pujols said. “That’s why I came out of the game. I couldn’t grip the bat. … I was in a lot of pain last night, but I’m fine right now.”

IN THE FIELD: Left fielder Matt Joyce made a superb sliding, back-hand catch of Josh Thole’s fly ball in front of the wall in foul territory in the second. Kole Calhoun raced in from right field and made a full-extension, diving catch of Kevin Pillar’s fly ball to end the fifth, his third such catch in the last nine games.

UP NEXT: Right-hander Garrett Richards (3-2, 2.29 ERA) will oppose Boston right-hander Rick Porcello (4-2, 4.26 ERA) at Fenway Park on Friday at 4 p.m. PDT. On the air: TV: FS West; Radio: 830.