Martinez's homer lifts Tigers to win
TORONTO -- Victor Martinez ended a tie with a home run in the eighth inning Saturday afternoon and the Detroit Tigers stopped the Toronto Blue Jays' winning streak at seven games with a 3-2 victory.
The Blue Jays (50-40) had just tied the game in the bottom of the seventh with a home run by Devon Travis. The Tigers (46-42) will try for a split in the four-game series in the finale on Sunday.
Reliever Jason Grilli (2-1) took the loss and Bruce Rondon (3-1) picked up the win despite allowing the game-tying homer to Travis.
Francisco Rodriguez pitched a perfect ninth to earn his 24th save of the season.
Toronto starter Aaron Sanchez allowed five hits, two walks, a hit batter and two runs in five innings. The right-hander struck out four.
Detroit left-hander Matt Boyd allowed four hits, two walks and one run while striking out six in five innings.
The Tigers scored a run in the second.
Martinez led off with a walk, Nick Castellanos extended his hitting streak to six games with a single and Justin Upton singled to load the bases.
Steven Moya lined out to left fielder Ezequiel Carrera, who threw Martinez out at the plate.
After a passed ball, Jarrod Saltalamacchia walked to load the bases. Sanchez hit Andrew Romine with a 1-2 pitch to score a run.
The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the fourth when Upton doubled and scored on Saltalamacchia's single.
The Blue Jays scored a run in the fifth on an infield single by Junior Lake, who took second on a throwing error by Castellanos and came home on a triple by Carrera.
Joe Biagini replaced Sanchez for the sixth and pitched two scoreless innings.
Alex Wilson took over from Boyd and pitched a perfect bottom of the sixth.
Rondon entered the game for Detroit in the bottom of the seventh and gave up a one-out homer to Devon Travis to tie the game. The Blue Jays' second baseman hit a 2-2 slider for his sixth homer of the season.
Martinez put the Tigers back into the lead when he hit a 1-2 fastball from Grilli to right center with one out in the eighth for his 17th homer of the season.
Justin Wilson pitched around a single in the bottom of the eighth.
Drew Storen set down the Tigers in order in the top of the ninth.
NOTES: Toronto LHP J.A. Happ is 6-0 with a 2.95 ERA in his last six starts after the win on Friday. He is the first Blue Jays pitcher to go 6-0 over a six-start span since RHP Roy Halladay, who had a 2.31 ERA when he accomplished it in 2003. Happ is the fourth Blue Jays pitcher to win 12 or more games before the All-Star break. Halladay did it three times (2003, 2005 and 2006), LHP David Wells (2000) and RHP Roger Clemens (1997). ... The Tigers optioned RHP Bobby Parnell to Toledo after the game Friday to make room for LHP Matt Boyd, who was recalled from the Triple-A team to start Saturday. ... Toronto RHP R.A. Dickey (5-9, 6.52 ERA) will face Detroit RHP Anibal Sanchez (6-9, 3.94) in the finale of the four-game series on Sunday.