The Detroit Tigers’ red-hot six-game winning streak is officially toast, folks. They rolled into Toronto on Wednesday afternoon hoping to sweep the Blue Jays, but instead, they got absolutely stifled, losing 5-1. What a gut punch to end that run.
Detroit’s Offense Hits a Wall After Early Spark
Our “old friend” Max Scherzer, pitching for the Jays, definitely had a plan for the Tigers. It wasn’t all bad news early for Detroit, though. Colt Keith got things cooking in the very first inning, smacking a two-out double. Then, Riley Greene stepped up and delivered, singling Keith home and putting the Tigers on the board nice and early. We were all hyped, thinking, “Here we go, another win!”
But after that, it was a struggle. Brett Callahan walked with two outs in the second, but the Tigers just couldn’t convert. Kevin McGonigle singled to lead off the third, but then tried to steal second and got tagged out. Ouch. Colt Keith walked later, but Riley Greene’s out ended that threat. Spencer Torkelson walked in the fourth with two outs, but nope, no extension of the lead. The Tigers went 1-2-3 in the fifth. It felt like every time they got a sniff of something good, it vanished. New dad Keider Montero was on the bump for the Tigers, but after that initial spark, the offense left him hanging.
Max Scherzer and the Jays Take Over
Scherzer, that wily veteran, quickly settled in. The Jays started making noise themselves in the first, with Brett Bateman and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. both singling, but Detroit managed to strand two. Then, the fourth inning hit hard. Kazuma Okamoto led off with a single, Josh Smith doubled him to third, and then Ernie Clement tied it up 1-1 with a sac fly. Just like that, the lead was gone. Myles Straw then singled to bring in another run, putting the Jays in the lead. Straw got caught stealing, but the damage was done. Montero’s day was done after that rough fourth, his final line: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K on 89 pitches. Tyler Holton took over.
The Jays weren’t done, though. In the fifth, Bateman singled again, then Nathan Lukes laid down a sac bunt to get him to second. Guerrero Jr. hit into a force out, getting Lukes out at second but advancing Bateman to third. George Springer then singled, bringing in another run. The Jays were up 3-1 at the end of five, and Scherzer had done his job with five innings of “solid work” before Mason Fluharty came in to relieve him.
Errors Pile Up, Cementing the Loss
Fluharty came in and absolutely shut the Tigers down in order, showing Scherzer’s outing wasn’t a fluke. In the home half, Drew Sommers pitched for the Jays, and that’s when the Tigers’ defense really crumbled. Ernie Clement reached on a fielding error by John Peck. Then, Valenzuela reached on a fielder’s choice, and another throwing error by Peck allowed Clement to score, with Valenzuela safely at second. Talk about adding insult to injury!
It was a tough way to see that awesome six-game streak end. The Tigers have got to shake this one off, because that kind of missed opportunity and late-game sloppiness won’t cut it. They need to come out firing next game and start building a new streak!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bless You Boys.
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