TORONTO (AP) — Spencer Torkelson hit a three-run homer, Drew Anderson pitched five shutout innings and the Detroit Tigers won their sixth straight game by thumping the Toronto Blue Jays 10-1 on Tuesday night.
The Blue Jays have lost six of nine. Toronto fell two games behind Cleveland in the race for the final American League wild card after the Guardians rallied in the ninth to beat the Chicago White Sox 7-6.
The Tigers are 4 1/2 games behind Cleveland, with three teams in between.
Anderson (5-6) allowed two hits, both singles. He struck out four and walked three for his first win since beating Kansas City in relief on July 23.
Torkelson went 2 for 4 with a walk and three RBIs. He stole a base and scored three runs.
Torkelson’s 24th homer was a 379-foot drive off Michael Lorenzen (3-13) in the fourth. Lorenzen permitted five runs and four hits in two innings.
Max Clark had two hits and two RBIs, and Kevin McGonigle drew three of Detroit’s eight walks.
Tigers infielder Hao-Yu Lee hit a solo homer, his ninth, off Joe Mantiply in the ninth.
Torkelson doubled off Spencer Arrighetti in the eighth and scored from second base when Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk made an errant pickoff throw to third. Clark scored ahead of Torkelson.
Braydon Fisher opened for Toronto and got four outs, pitching around a pair of walks in the first. Brendan Cellucci followed by striking out three over 1 2/3 innings in his major league debut.
Lorenzen got two quick outs in the fourth before walking Riley Greene and Eduardo Valencia. Clark hit an RBI double before Torkelson homered into the left-field bullpen.
Up next
RHP Max Scherzer (2-8, 6.38 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Blue Jays on Wednesday night against Tigers RHP Keider Montero (9-8, 3.55).
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