Surging Blue Jays beat slumping Tigers in a matchup of 1st-place teams going in opposite directions
DETROIT (AP) — Ernie Clement and Joey Loperfido hit back-to back hit home runs in the fifth inning to help the surging Toronto Blue Jays rout the slumping Detroit Tigers 11-4 on Thursday night in a matchup of first-place teams going in opposite directions.
The AL East-leading Blue Jays have won 19 of their last 24 games, and the AL Central-leading Tigers have lost 10 of 11.
Clement's three-run home run gave Toronto a 4-1 lead and Loperfido followed with a soaring, solo shot to right field.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a game-tying double in the sixth to bring home the first of five runs in the inning. Guerrero's RBI double in the four-run seventh helped the Blue Jays pull away with a 9-1 lead.
The Blue Jays didn't let up, going ahead 11-1 in the eighth on Nathan Lukes' two-run homer.
Jahmai Jones hit a solo homer to give Detroit a 1-0 lead in the first. The Tigers didn't generate more offense until it was too late in the ninth, when Spencer Torkeson hit his 22nd homer in a three-run inning against right-hander Chad Green.
Eric Lauer (6-2) allowed one run on five hits without a walk while striking out six in a season-high eight innings.
Reese Olson (4-4) gave up five runs on six hits and two walks over 5 2/3 innings after throwing four scoreless innings. Dietrich Enns replaced him and got roughed up, allowing four runs. Geoff Hartlieb gave up two more runs in one inning after being recalled from Triple-A Toledo to replace right-hander Carlos Hernandez, who was designated for assignment.
Key moment
Clement hit Olson's hanging slider over the left-field wall for a three-run homer in the pivotal sixth inning.
Key stat
The Blue Jays have won nine straight series openers and are 22-13 in the first game of a series this season.
Up next
Toronto RHP Jose Berrios (6-4) and Detroit RHP Keider Montero (4-2) are the probable pitchers Friday in the second matchup in the four-game series.
___
Larry Lage, The Associated Press
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
4 hours ago
- CBC
Jays' offence busts out, with Bichette blasts keying 25-hit attack in 15-1 rout of Rockies
Bo Bichette homered twice and drove in six runs, Ernie Clement had a career-best five of Toronto's season-high 25 hits and the Blue Jays beat the hometown Colorado Rockies 15-1 on Monday night. Eric Lauer (7-2) allowed a run in six innings, giving up seven hits with a walk and four strikeouts. Clement capped the scoring with an RBI single in the ninth and finished with three runs scored. Bichette, Nathan Lukes and Joey Loperfido had three hits apiece and Daulton Varsho had four runs batted in. Lukes hit the first pitch of the game into centre-field for a double and scored when Bichette singled two pitches later. Clement singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch by Rockies starter Tanner Gordon (2-4) and scored when Davis Schneider singled to make it 2-0 in the second. Toronto (66-48) is tied with Detroit for the best record in the American League. Tyler Freeman doubled with two outs in the fifth and scored when Ezequiel Tovar singled. Lukes singled to drive in Clement, Bichette hit a three-run shot and Varsho added an RBI single in the seventh to make it 14-1. Key moment Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Addison Barger led off the third with back-to-back singles before Varsho hit a three-run homer. Clement tripled and scored when Loperfido singled before Schneider hit a run-scoring double, Lukes walked and Bichette added a two-run home run that capped Toronto's seven-run inning and made it 9-0. The Blue Jays also set season highs for at-bats (50), total bases (39), runs scored (15) and RBIs (15).
Edmonton Journal
7 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
Rockies pitchers combine on a tidy 25-hitter as Blue Jays romp in Mile High opener
Article content One pitch into the evening and one could sense this was going to be a game the Blue Jays began to clear the stench of a recent stretch that saw them drop six of their previous eight. Article content Nathan Lukes lashed Tanner Gordon's first offering to centre for a double and the hit parade was on — 25 in all, as the Jays pounded the Rockies 15-1 to maintain their three-game lead on the Boston Red Sox atop the AL East. Article content Article content Monday night's game was played at Coors Field in Denver, where no lead, even the most lopsided, is ever safe, as evidenced last Friday when the Rockies trailed the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-1 before storming back for a 17-16 walk-off win. Article content Article content ♦ Through three innings, they had compiled 12 hits and nine runs, while striking out but once. ♦ By the fourth, every Toronto starter had recorded a hit. By the eighth, every Jays starter — except for Vlad Guerrero Jr., who went 1-for-5 — had a multi-hit game. Article content ♦ By game's end 11 different Jays batters had recorded a hit. Article content ♦ Ernie Clement went 5-for-6 for his first career five-hit game while Lukes, Joey Loperfido and Bo Bichette had three hits apiece. Article content Article content The 25-hit barrage did fall short of the team record of 29, set in July of 2022 in a 28-5 pasting of the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Article content The litany of hits, however, shouldn't overshadow how well the Jays played defensively — especially in the outfield, where Daulton Varsho and Lukes made highlight-reel catches — and how starter Eric Lauer pitched. The lefty was his usual efficient self, allowing one run in six innings on seven hits and a walk. He struck out four. Article content The Jays needed a break in the schedule and were afforded one, facing the Rockies (30-82) in the opener of a three-game series, which will be viewed as successful only if a sweep is achieved. Article content The following are three takeaways on a night the Blue Jays hit three home runs — two by Bichette — and Varsho's first since his recent return from the injured list, coming in a seven-run third inning
Canada News.Net
7 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
Fresh off rout, Blue Jays vie for series win vs. Rockies
(Photo credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images) The Toronto Blue Jays are in first place in the American League East due in large part to their dominant play at Rogers Centre. That said, the Blue Jays made themselves at home in Denver on Monday night with a 15-1 romp over the Colorado Rockies in the opener of a three-game series. Toronto will have a chance to clinch the series on Tuesday night when it sends Jose Berrios (7-4, 3.84 ERA) to the mound against Colorado's Anthony Molina (0-0, 7.27) in a battle of right-handers. Molina allowed one run on three hits in an inning in relief last season in his lone career appearance against the Blue Jays. Berrios has faced the Rockies twice in his career, winning both starts over 14 2/3 shutout innings. Tuesday will be his first time pitching in Colorado, and he can build off Eric Lauer's start in Monday's victory. Lauer was 0-6 with a 12.73 ERA in seven starts in Denver before allowing just one run over six innings on Monday night. Beating the Rockies in the opener was a positive sign for the Blue Jays, who had lost four of their last five games on the road and are 28-29 away from home. (They are 38-19 at home.) Monday's victory also gave the Blue Jays just their third win in the last nine games overall and comes after they dropped two of three games against Kansas City. 'This group is so good at turning the page to the next day,' Toronto manager John Schneider said after Sunday's 7-4 loss in 10 innings to the Royals. 'That's, I think, one of the many reasons why we are where we are.' Colorado won its third straight home series by taking two of three games from Pittsburgh but needs at least one victory against Toronto to avoid a losing record on the homestand. The Rockies also need to get off to better starts; they've trailed by at least four runs in each of the last four games. 'We've been down early, especially in the first inning,' interim manager Warren Schaeffer said. 'That's not a good recipe for longevity in a season. We need better performances out of our starters.' One of the sparks for the recent surge has been 23-year-old rookie Warming Bernabel, who made his major league debut and has been hitting ever since. He has hit safely in eight of the nine games he has played in and started his career with a seven-game hitting streak. His hot start earned him National League Player of the Week honors after he batted .462 with two home runs and seven RBIs. Bernabel has become the everyday first baseman after Michael Toglia struggled and was optioned to Triple-A for a second time. 'It's a very good thing, competition -- it's a good thing when you have a guy like Bernabel that came up here and basically earned a spot,' Schaeffer said. 'That's what you want, especially in a team in our situation. You want guys to force their hand and earn a spot. Then guys that lose their spot, they need to go to work and get better so they can come back and get their spot back.'
