Blue Jays 3, Tigers 2: Detroit lose 10th straight game

The Detroit Tigers went into Toronto to face a fourth place Blue Jays team, hoping to end a nine-game losing streak. Francisco Liriano took the mound for Detroit and held Toronto off the board for three innings, but it wasn’t enough. The Tigers were shut down by Jays starter Marcus Stroman for their 10th straight defeat, which is their longest losing streak since 2003, when they lost 11 straight games.

The Tigers opened the scoring in the top of the third inning on a leadoff single by JaCoby Jones and another by Jose Iglesias, which sent Jones to third. Dixon Machado grounded into a double play, with Jones crossing the plate to put Detroit up 1-0.

The Blue Jays answered with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Yangervis Solarte opened the frame with a single, but was thrown out attempting to advance to third on a single by Kendrys Morales. Justin Smoak followed with a two-run homer to give Toronto the lead, 2-1.

The Jays weren’t done scoring, as they loaded the bases on a pair of walks and a single. Devon Travis grounded into what could have been a double play ball, but the throw from John Hicks to McCann was low, so the Tigers settled for a force out at the plate. They would pay for it on the next play, as Randal Grichuk managed a dribbler to third for an infield single, and Toronto was up 3-1.

Stroman held the Tigers off the board until the top of the seventh inning, when Jeimer Candelario led off the inning with his 12th home run of the season, cutting Toronto’s lead to 3-2.

Liriano departed with a line of six innings pitched, three runs, seven hits, and four strikeouts, as Buck Farmer took the mound in the bottom of the seventh inning. Farmer worked around a single and a walk, stranding two runners as he struck out Morales to end the inning.

Stroman lasted seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits, striking out four batters. He looked more like the pitcher who led team USA to victory in the World Baseball Classic than the one who has struggled to the tune of a 6.20 ERA in nine starts this season. Seunghwan Oh entered in relief to start the eighth inning and struck out the side.

Louis Coleman relieved Farmer to start the eighth inning, and he walked the lead off batter, the Tigers sixth free pass allowed on the evening. A strikeout and a double play ball finished the Jays to end the inning.

Tyler Clippard came on for the Toronto in the ninth inning with a save opportunity on the line. Leonys Martin led off the inning with an infield single. The Jays’ closer struck out Candelario and Castellanos, and got Victor Martinez to pop out to third base to end the game.

The Tigers fall to 36- 47 on the season, with two more games slated in Toronto this weekend.