Blue Jays edge Tigers 2‑1 in 10 innings
DETROIT (Interstat) — The Toronto Blue Jays edged the Detroit Tigers 2-1 in 10 innings Saturday afternoon at Comerica Park, snapping a three-game losing streak and handing Detroit its second straight loss in the series.
Attendance was 38,295, and the game lasted 2 hours, 32 minutes.
Toronto improved to 20-25, while Detroit fell to 20-26.
The game remained scoreless through the first five innings, with both starting pitchers working effectively. Toronto starter Spencer Miles threw 3 2-iputscoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out five, before giving way to a bullpen that combined for 6 1-3 innings of one-run ball. Detroit starter Casey Mize left after four innings, and the Tigers bullpen largely matched Toronto’s effort until the 10th.
Detroit broke through in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, center fielder Matt Vierling hit his third home run of the season, a solo shot to left field off Toronto reliever Tommy Nance, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead. Vierling went 2-for-4 with the homer and a single earlier in the game.
Toronto answered immediately in the top of the seventh. Left fielder Yohendrick Piñango led off the inning with his first home run of the season, a line drive to right field off Tigers reliever Beau Brieske, tying the game at 1-1. Piñango finished 2-for-4 with the homer and an RBI.
Neither team scored in the eighth or ninth innings, as both bullpens tightened. Toronto’s Louis Varland entered in the bottom of the eighth and pitched two scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out two to earn the win. Varland improved to 2-1 on the season.
In the top of the 10th, with the automatic runner Vladimir Guerrero Jr. placed on second base, Daulton Varsho delivered the decisive hit. Varsho singled sharply to center field off Tigers reliever Tyler Holton, driving in Guerrero with the go-ahead run. Varsho went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and the RBI. Lenyn Sosa followed with a double, but the Blue Jays could not add insurance.
Holton took the loss, falling to 0-2. He allowed one earned run on two hits in one inning of work.
Detroit threatened in the bottom of the 10th. With automatic runner Zack Short on second, the Tigers put together a pair of groundouts that moved Short to third, but Dillon Dingler struck out swinging to end the game, with Varland recording the final out.
Toronto’s bullpen was sharp overall. Nance pitched a scoreless inning with one strikeout. Miles, making a spot start, allowed no earned runs and struck out five over 3 2-3 innings. The Blue Jays committed one error, a throwing mistake by first baseman Guerrero in the seventh, but escaped when catcher Tyler Heineman caught Zach McKinstry stealing second base.
For Detroit, the loss overshadowed a strong effort from its pitchers. In addition to Mize’s solid outing, relievers such as Brieske and Will Vest held Toronto scoreless through the middle innings. The Tigers outhit Toronto 7-5 but went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Detroit also struck out 14 times, a season high for a single game.
The game marked the second consecutive one-run contest between the two teams. Detroit won the series opener Friday afternoon 3-2. The teams conclude their three-game series Sunday afternoon.
Toronto’s next 10 games include a four-game road trip to New York to face the Yankees, followed by a six-game homestand against the Pirates and Marlins. Detroit hosts the Guardians for four games next week before traveling to Baltimore.
Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Toronto 3, Detroit 2. Interstat’s ELO system gave Toronto a 51.70 percent probability to win. Detroit was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total score of three runs went over the over-under line of eight.