Blue Jays at Tigers
The Detroit Tigers pounded the Toronto Blue Jays in the opener of a three-game series and waited a little longer to break out the bats and earn a crushing win on Tuesday. The Tigers will try to polish off the three-game sweep when they host the Blue Jays in the finale on Wednesday.
Detroit is doing it on both sides of the ball in a five-game winning streak and cruised to an 11-0 win over Toronto on Monday. The Tigers had trouble figuring out Blue Jays starter Aaron Sanchez through the first eight innings on Tuesday but tied it with a pair of runs in the ninth before Ian Kinsler, who doubled home a run in the ninth, delivered a walk-off single in the 3-2 triumph in the 10th. Toronto was on a roll with nine wins in 11 games before coming to Detroit and watching the bats go silent. The Blue Jays offense averaged 5.5 runs in those 11 games but totaled two in the first two against the Tigers and received a total of three hits from the top seven spots in the batting order – none from the top three – in the two contests.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, Sportsnet (Toronto), FSN Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH R.A. Dickey (3-6, 4.21 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Jordan Zimmermann (8-2, 2.58)
Dickey has carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning in each of his last two starts and picked up a win at Boston on Friday while allowing an unearned run and two hits in 6 2/3 frames. The veteran knuckleballer had his signature pitch moving all over the place in those two outings and ended up totaling nine walks in 12 frames. Dickey split a pair of starts against the Tigers last season, getting ripped for five runs on 11 hits in 5 2/3 innings at Detroit on July 4.
Zimmermann returned to the mound on Friday after skipping a start due to a groin strain and held the Chicago White Sox to two runs in 5 2/3 innings to earn the win. The Wisconsin native did not allow more than one earned run in any of his first five starts but posted a 4.59 ERA over the last five outings. Zimmermann made a pair of interleague starts against Toronto as a member of the Washington Nationals and yielded a total of one run in 13 2/3 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Blue Jays on Tuesday designated 3B Matt Dominguez for assignment and recalled switch-pitcher Pat Venditte.
2. Tigers LF Justin Upton is 6-for-12 with five RBIs and four runs scored in the last three games.
3. Detroit traded RHP Jose Valdez, who was designated for assignment last week, to the Los Angeles Angels for cash considerations.