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Toronto Blue Jays' Josh Donaldson celebrates after sliding safely into third base with a triple against the Cleveland Indians during fifth inning AL baseball action in Toronto on Monday, August 31, 2015.Fred Thornhill/The Canadian Press

Josh Donaldson is having such a ridiculous year that when he inevitably fails it sends shockwaves through the city's increasingly rabid baseball fan base.

And so it was on Monday night, during a 4-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians at Rogers Centre, that Donaldson was shown to be human after all.

The Toronto third baseman came to plate in situations he has devoured all season – with the game on the line and the bat in his hands.

There were two out in the bottom of the ninth inning with runners at first and second when Donaldson stepped into the batter's box to face Cleveland reliever Cody Allen.

The fans who once against packed Rogers Centre were on their feet cheering, the now-familiar refrain of "MVP, MVP" reverberating throughout the stadium.

Only this time Allen got the better of Donaldson, who could not check his swing on an 87-mile-an-hour knuckle-curve that was low and outside the strike zone for strike three.

Game over.

The only upside on the night was that the Boston Red Sox held off the New York Yankees 4-3 so Toronto's lead atop the American League East standing remained at 1 ½-games as the schedule now moves into September.

Toronto manager John Gibbons said of all the sluggers at his disposal on Major League Baseball's most explosive offence, he felt most confident with Donaldson at the plate in that situation.

"When you look at this year he's the guy you want up there, it's got to be him," Gibbons said. "I think he's kind of spoiled everybody around here because he's come through so many times."

No kidding.

Earlier in the game, Donaldson slugged a triple in the fifth inning that scored two runs that moved Toronto in front 2-1.

The triple, his first of the season, was his 29th go-ahead hit of the season, tops in the major leagues.

The runs batted in gave him 35 in August, a career high for one month.

Along with leading the majors with 108 RBIs, Donaldson has stroked 36 home runs, 24 of which have either tied the game or given Toronto the lead.

That's all pretty clutch.

But by Donaldson's elite standards, it was overall an off night for him.

In the top of the ninth, with Cleveland leading 3-2, he ranged far to his left to try to field a high hopper off the bat of Lonnie Chisenhall only to see the ball careen off his glove and into the outfield.

Jan Gomes, the Cleveland runner who was at first, decided to try and make third on the play.

Donaldson tracked down the ball and made an off-balance throw to third only to see the ball sail into the Toronto dugout, allowing Gomes to come home for the important insurance run.

"I know the runner who's running right there," Donaldson said when rehashing the play after the game. "Obviously I wasn't able to make the play that the beginning. I felt like I had a chance, which I did after going back on it.

"I just, when I made the throw it kind of sailed on me a little bit up. And if I had to do it again I would do it again, just make a better throw."

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