Blue Jays 5, Tigers 4: Put the brooms away

The Tigers couldn’t quite pull off the sweep on Sunday. Both starting pitchers struggled, but the Blue Jays bullpen was a little better. Ultimately, a great defensive play by Daulton Varsho was the deciding moment, turning away the Tigers last attempt at a comeback as they lost 5-4. Still, the Tigers did win their fourth series in a row.

After taking the first two games of the series, the Tigers had a tough matchup on hand while looking for the sweep. RHP Kevin Gausman is tough, while RHP Keider Montero is still figuring it out, with a penchant for hanging a few too many pitches.

The Tigers got a single from Colt Keith and a walk to Riley Greene in the first inning with two outs, but Keith was picked off on a Gausman spin move to second base.

The first batter Montero faced in the bottom half was George Springer. In a 3-2 count a fastball down and in got blasted to left center field. 1-0 Blue Jays. Montero shut the Jays down from there and both teams went in order in the second inning.

Gio Urshela got into scoring position with a one out double in the third, but that went nowhere. Montero gave up a single to Ernie Clement, and in a 2-1 count, Springer got another fastball over the middle and launched another home run. 3-0 Blue Jays.

The Tigers still couldn’t get anything going in the fourth inning. Montero struck out the first two hitters he faced, then allowed singled to Daulton Varsho and Davis Schneider. He got Erne Clement on a line out to left field to end the threat.

Finally the Tigers got something going in the fifth, and Gausman rapidly came unraveled. Zach McKinstry pulled a single into right field to start things off. Javier Báez struck out looking, and Urshela flew out, but the Tigers weren’t done. McKinstry stole second base and Wenceel Pérez and Colt Keith drew walks as Gausman got wild. Justyn-Henry Malloy came to bat with the bases juiced, got an 0-1 fastball up, and just like Jake Rogers on Saturday, crushed a grand slam. 4-3 Tigers.

The Blue Jays fought right back against Montero. With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Springer’s huge day continued with a double to left field. Spencer Horowitz singled him home, and the game was tied at 4-4. Montero did get Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to ground into a double play to end the inning, but the Blue Jays had recovered from Malloy’s big blow.

The Tigers went in order in the top of the sixth. Montero allowed a leadoff single to Justin Turner, then got Danny Jansen on a lineout. The contact was still too much and Montero was starting to labor a bit, so Hinch turned to Will Vest. As he does, Vest allowed the inherited runner to score before shutting the Jays down. 5-4 Blue Jays.

The Tigers went in order in the seventh. Beau Brieske kept the Jays off the board in the bottom half, working around a two-out Guerrero Jr. double.

Genesis got into a little trouble in the top of the eighth. Malloy walked with one out, and Riley Greene singled the opposite way. The Blue Jays pulled Cabrera in favor of Chad Green. Carson Kelly stepped to the dish and crushed Green’s third pitch deep to left center field. Varsho ran to the wall and made a fine leaping catch to rob him. Heck of a play, and the deciding play of the game as it turned out.

Bligh Madris popped out to end the half inning.

Brieske struck out Danny Jansen and Varsho in the bottom of the eighth, but a Davis Schneider single brought Hinch back out, calling for Jason Foley to finish things out. Schneider quickly stole second base, and Foley had to get Clement to keep the deficit at one run.

Clement made a bid at an RBI double into the left field corner, but it was just foul. Still, Foley was spraying it some and he missed down with a 3-2 sinker to walk him. Chris Fetter strode purposefully to the mound with a message, and shortstop Leo Jiménez stepped into the box. Jiménez hit a solid drive out to center field, but Riley Greene had it all the way.

Last call for the Tigers.

McKinstry flew out, Báez grounded out, and that left it to Gio Urshela. He lifted a fly ball into the right field corner, and fittingly it was George Springer who camped underneath it for the final out.

The Tigers have won 10 of their last 13, and four straight series, but they slip back two games under .500, and the rotation is in real trouble just as the offense has finally found its stride. They head to Cleveland next for four games with the AL Central division leading Guardians.

Jim Leyland inducted into the Hall of Fame

Long-time Tigers manager Jim Leyland was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday afternoon. A well deserved honor for the 1997 World Series winning manager with the Florida Marlins. He finished with a 1769-1728 record as a manager.

Leyland started his managerial career with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1986-1996. He then managed the Marlins in 1997 and 1998, and then a year with the Colorado Rockies before temporarily retiring due to burnout. Dave Dombrowski brought him back to the game as the new Tigers manager in 2006, kicking off one of the best eras of Tigers baseball until his retirement after the Tigers devastating 2013 ALCS loss to the Boston Red Sox.

Joe Mauer, Todd Helton, and Adrian Beltre were all inducted along with Leyland. All very deserving additions to Cooperstown. We still love you, Jim you old softy.

On this day in history

Ernest Hemingway, a giant of American letters, whose mythos has held up in the public consciousness as a sort of archetype as well as his books have, was born this day in 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois.