Another comeback, although down one after two isn’t much of a hole. The Toronto Blue Jays now have sole possession of the best record in the major leagues. Just as we all expected in March.
The offence was a little slow to get going. Nathan Lukes lead off with a single in the first, and Joey Loperfido lined a single in the second, but that was it through three innings.
They finally got to Keider Montero in the third. Vladimir Guerrero jr. lined a ball to the gap in left. Riley Greene slightly mistimed his jump and it got over his head to the wall for a lead off double. One batter later, Addison Barger lined a double of his own to the same area, cashing Vlad to tie the game at one. Alejandro Kirk grounded out, and Loperfido should have done the same but his speed forced Javier Baez to rush his throw and he reached on the error. Barger came home on the play to put Toronto in front 2-1.
They poured it on in the fifth. Lukes and George Springer started with back to back singles. Guerrero lined another double into the left field corner that scored one (Springer almost went home but got a stop sign at the last second and slipped on the bag), and Bo Bichette sliced a hard grounder inside the first base bag for double of his own, scoring both runners to make it 5-1. That was the end of Montero’s night. Tyler Holton took over and got Barger to ground to second for the first out, moving Bo to third. The infield came in, which allowed Kirk to bloop one into very shallow left to cash the sixth run. Loperfido added a sixth hit of the inning, but Holton got a couple of soft outs to stop it there.
Springer singled off Brenan Hanifee in the sixth. Brant Hurter hurt but didn’t injure Joey Loperfido with a fastball to the kidney in the seventh. Loperfido stole second but was stranded. Springer collected his third hit of the night off Hurter in the eighth. Geoff Hartlieb walked Barger and Loperfido in the ninth, but the Jays did not extend their lead.
Jose Berrios had a pretty good night, although it took him a couple of innings to dial in. He had to work around a single and walk in the first. Detroit took an early one run lead in the second on a Wenceel Perez single and a Dillon Dingler double. He had his only 1-2-3 inning in the third. In the fourth, now holding a one run lead, he gave up a two out walk but nothing else. Detroit picked up another single in the fifth but again didn’t really threaten. The Tigers got a little closer in the sixth. Spencer Torkelson caught a sinker left over the plate and put it in the visitor’s bullpen to make it 6-2. Berrios finished the inning from there. His final line was two runs in 6.0 innings on five hits and two walks, striking out six.
Braydon Fisher got the seventh. He got help from a great sliding catch by Barger on a foul pop fly, struck out one and got a line out.
Brendon Little had a smooth 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth.
Yariel Rodriguez took the ninth given that it was a non save situation. He sat the Tigers down in order.
Jays of the Day: Berrios (0.112), Guerrero (0.139), Loperfido (0.142)
Not so much: nobody wins the bad award
It’s a late game tomorrow, with first pitch set for 6:10pm ET. Tarik Skubal (10-3, 2.19) is slated to go for the Tigers, returning from three days of paternity leave as he and his wife expect their second child. Kevin Gausman (7-7, 4.01, father of two) will take the mound for the Jays.