Spencer Torkelson hit a three-run home run Tuesday night, Drew Anderson pitched five scoreless innings and the visiting Detroit Tigers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 10-1.
Torkelson also doubled, walked and stole a base as the Tigers (72-79) won their sixth straight and clinched the three-game series against the Blue Jays (75-77).
Hao-Yu Lee added a solo shot in the win, his ninth home run of the season.
Anderson (5-6) allowed two hits, walked three and struck out four in the middle game of the series, as Toronto fell to two games behind the Cleveland Guardians for the third American League wild-card berth.
Toronto opener Braydon Fisher walked two in 1 1/3 scoreless frames. He was replaced by Brendan Cellucci, who struck out three in 1 2/3 perfect innings in his major league debut.
Detroit took a 4-0 lead in the fourth against Michael Lorenzen (3-13). After Riley Greene and Eduardo Valencia each drew a two-out walk, Max Clark laced an RBI double into the left-field corner to score Greene. Torkelson lofted a 1-1 sweeper high over the wall in left-center for his 24th home run of the season.
The Tigers added a run against Lorenzen in the fifth. Kevin McGonigle drew a one-out walk, moved to third on Lee’s two-out single to right and came home when Greene torched a 101.5 mph single off the right-center-field wall.
Detroit pushed its lead to 6-0 against reliever Brendon Little in the sixth. Torkelson walked with one out, took second with his first stolen base of the season and scored on John Peck’s two-out single into the right-field corner. Peck was thrown out trying for a double on the play, ending the inning.
Toronto’s Nathan Lukes stretched his hit streak to 12 in the sixth inning with an infield hit to second against Jacob Waguespack.
The Tigers tacked on two more in the eighth against Spencer Arrighetti, when catcher Alejandro Kirk’s throw on a pickoff attempt at third sailed into the left-field corner. Kirk was charged with catcher’s interference to start the inning, which put Valencia at first. Valencia was out on a force at second on Clark’s ensuing grounder. Torkelson then stroked a double to move Clark to third and set up Kirk’s miscue.
Toronto scored in the eighth against Kyle Finnegan on back-to-back singles by Bret Bateman and George Springer to open the frame, followed by a one-out single from Kirk.
Detroit scored twice against Joe Mantiply in the ninth, on Lee’s 408-foot solo homer to left and Clark’s run-scoring single.
–Field Level Media
