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TORONTO -- Mark Buehrle admitted that he did not feel so great on the mound Thursday. However, the Toronto left-hander said he still felt great about his team, and the Blue Jays backed him up by defeating the Minnesota Twins 9-3 to complete a sweep of the four-game series.
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Designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion led the way with a homer, two doubles and four RBIs.
"If it's a rookie pitching or a guy that's been around for a while, we've got that feel of whose butt are we going to kick today," said Buehrle, who pitched seven innings of three-run ball. "That's a good feeling. We haven't had that the couple of years I've been here."
Left fielder Ben Revere added three hits and three runs for the Blue Jays (58-52), who won their fifth consecutive game.
Third baseman Trevor Plouffe hit a two-run homer, and center fielder Aaron Hicks added a solo shot for the Twins, who lost their fifth in a row.
"They're playing well, they're playing confidently, and they kind of took it to us for four days," Twins manager Paul Molitor said after his team dropped to 54-54. "Right now, it doesn't feel good at all. It's how you get there, and we're going the wrong way. The light went out here a couple of hours ago."
Buehrle (12-5) allowed five hits and one walk while striking out one.
The Blue Jays finished an 8-2 homestand during which they were bolstered by the addition of five players before the non-waiver trade deadline.
"It's a better team, no question about that," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "We're feeling good right now, and we continue to swing the bats well, we've done it all year. Eddie's started to heat it up these last few games, and that's big for us.
"Buehrle got another win tonight. He labored most of the game. I thought he was a little bit off, but he gives up three runs, so you tip your hat to the guy."
Buehrle said, "It wasn't one of my best nights. Didn't feel the greatest, but you're going to have those starts throughout the course of the year. ... You're going to have your good days and your bad days, and today was a bad day."
Twins right-hander Kyle Gibson (8-9) allowed eight runs on nine hits and three walks and had four strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.
"There aren't too many teams going to beat that team over there," Twins right fielder Torii Hunter said. "They've got a great squad. The way they hit the ball is just unbelievable. When they hit the ball, it sounds like car crashes. They're one of the best teams in baseball, offensively."
Hicks hit his sixth homer of the season in the seventh.
Right-hander Bo Schultz replaced Buehrle in the eighth. He gave up a two-out walk to Hunter, but the inning ended when center fielder Kevin Pillar made a sensational leaping catch near the warning track on a drive by designated hitter Miguel Sano.
Schultz also pitched a scoreless ninth.
Encarnacion doubled in the first inning to give Toronto a 1-0 lead and extend his hitting streak to nine games. The hit scored third baseman Josh Donaldson, who walked, stole second and took third on a deep fly to center by right fielder Jose Bautista.
Revere led off the third with a single to left and took third when shortstop Troy Tulowitzki singled to right. Donaldson hit an RBI single to right. Bautista bounced to third to start a double play as Tulowitzki took third. Encarnacion hit the first pitch to left for his 21st homer of the season, extending the margin to 4-0.
Plouffe hit his 15th homer of the season after Sano doubled with one out in the fourth. The blast sliced Minnesota's deficit to 4-2.
The Blue Jays increased their lead to 8-2 with a four-run fifth.
Revere led off with a bunt single and did not stop until he reached third on a throwing error by Plouffe. Donaldson walked with one out, and Bautista hit an RBI double.
Encarnacion was intentionally walked. Catcher Dioner Navarro singled to left to score two runs. First baseman Justin Smoak sliced an RBI double to left.
Encarnacion hit his second double of the game in the sixth against right-handed reliever Blaine Boyer to knock in a run and increase Toronto's lead to 9-2.
NOTES: RHP LaTroy Hawkins became the 13th pitcher in history with a save against every major league team when he pitched around two singles to earn his first save for the Blue Jays on Wednesday. At 42, Hawkins is the oldest pitcher with a save for Toronto. ... Twins OF Byron Buxton (sprained left thumb) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester on Friday. He went on the disabled list June 25. ... Toronto won consecutive four-game series for the first time since 2010. ... The Twins will start RHP Mike Pelfrey (5-7, 3.65 ERA) Friday against Indians RHP Cody Anderson (2-3, 3.38) in the opener of a three-game series at Cleveland. ... The Blue Jays will start RHP R.A. Dickey (6-10, 4.06) Friday against Yankees RHP Nathan Eovaldi (11-2, 4.30) in the opener of a three-game series at New York.
