Blue Jays waste Aaron Sanchez gem, lose to Tigers in extra innings
Toronto starter strikes out career-high 12 batters in taking 1-hitter into the 9th
Ian Kinsler drove in the winning run with a 10th-inning single as the Detroit Tigers won their fifth straight game Tuesday with a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Tigers tied it with two runs in the ninth, spoiling an outstanding effort by Blue Jays starter Aaron Sanchez.
"That's a really tough one to lose, because [Sanchez] was about as good as you can possibly be," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said.
The Toronto right-hander struck out a career-high 12 and took a one-hitter into the ninth inning, but he didn't get another out as Detroit rallied.
"My job is to go out there to get us a win," Sanchez said. "It's just unfortunate the way it ended tonight."
With the tying run at third and one out in the ninth inning, Miguel Cabrera was sent sprawling to the dirt by a high fastball from Roberto Osuna.
But that was no big deal for the Detroit slugger.
"I don't care what he did. I don't care what he's going to do to me," Cabrera said.
Kinsler's RBI double in the ninth chased Sanchez, and Cabrera's one-out double deep to right-centre off Osuna tied the game at 2-2.
The Tigers loaded the bases in the 10th with no outs against Joe Biagini and Kinsler won it with a chopper into left field.
Justin Wilson pitched a scoreless 10th for the win.
Pillar homers
Justin Upton's double in the third was the only hit off Sanchez in eight innings, but Jose Iglesias started the bottom of the ninth with a single and Kinsler followed with a double.
After Kinsler went to third on Andrew Romine's sacrifice bunt, the Blue Jays chose to pitch to Cabrera rather than intentionally walk the winning run.
Upton opened the 10th with a single and Jarrod Saltalamacchia walked. Upton then beat the throw to third when the Blue Jays tried to get the lead runner on a bunt by Iglesias. That set the scene for Kinsler's extra-inning heroics.
Tigers starter Matt Boyd held the Blue Jays hitless for four innings, but Kevin Pillar led off the fifth with a homer.
Pillar's drive to left gave the Blue Jays a 1-0 lead early on, and he scored their second run after hitting a seventh-inning single.
"It's just unfortunate that we weren't able to score more runs," Pillar said.
Boyd — whom the Tigers acquired from Toronto last year in the trade that sent David Price to the Blue Jays — allowed a run and three hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked five and struck out five.
On Tuesday, Toronto recalled switch pitcher Pat Venditte from Triple-A Buffalo and designated 3B Matt Dominguez for assignment.
The Jays will send knuckleballer R.A. Dickey to the mound in the series finale Wednesday while the Tigers counter with Jordan Zimmermann.
With files from CBC Sports