Spencer Torkelson had a double, a single and three RBIs and the visiting Detroit Tigers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 on Sunday afternoon.
Torkelson’s RBI single in the seventh broke a 2-2 tie. Dillon Dingler had three hits and Riley Greene added two for the Tigers in the rubber match of the three-game series.
The Tigers have won five of six. The Blue Jays are 2-4 to open their nine-game homestand.
Detroit scored twice in the first against right-hander Jose Berrios. Kerry Carpenter and Zach McKinstry singled and scored on Torkelson’s two-out double high off the wall in right center.
Tigers left fielder Akil Baddoo allowed right-hander Jackson Jobe (4-0) to escape the home first scoreless. Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. opened with singles. Daulton Varsho hit a shot that Baddoo caught after a leap against the wall. The inning ended when Baddoo charged in to make a diving catch on Alejandro Kirk’s drive and threw to second to double up Bichette.
Toronto tied the game in the fifth. Guerrero led off with a four-pitch walk, Varsho hit a broken-bat flare to right for a double and Kirk bounced an RBI single past diving shortstop Trey Sweeney. Two outs later, Ernie Clement lined an RBI single to left.
Each starter allowed two runs over six innings.
Mason Fluharty (3-1) took over in the seventh from Berrios, who allowed eight hits and one walk with four strikeouts.
After Gleyber Torres walked and pinch hitter Andy Ibanez chopped an infield single to third, Braydon Fisher replaced Fluharty with two outs. Torkelson hit an RBI single to center, but Ibanez was thrown out trying to reach third on the hit to end the inning.
John Brebbia replaced Jobe, who allowed six hits and two walks with five strikeouts. After two walks, Brant Hurter replaced Brebbia and struck out Varsho to end the seventh.
Detroit’s Tommy Kahnle took over in the eighth and worked around a leadoff infield single.
Will Vest pitched around a two-out error in the ninth to earn his fifth save of the season.
–Field Level Media
