The visiting Detroit Tigers aim to win a series from the Toronto Blue Jays for the second time this season on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers held on to defeat the Blue Jays 5-4 on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series. They won three of four from the Blue Jays May 23-26 at Detroit.
The Tigers are scheduled to start right-hander Reese Olson (4-8, 3.30 ERA), who held the Blue Jays to one unearned run, three hits and three walks with four strikeouts to earn the decision in a 2-1 win on May 25. In two career games (one start) against Toronto, he is 1-0 with a 1.08 ERA. The Blue Jays will counter with left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (4-8, 4.42) in the middle game of the series that kicks off a nine-game homestand for the Jays. Kikuchi allowed five runs in three innings on May 26 and did not factor in the decision in Detroit’s 14-11 victory. He is 1-1 with a 6.00 ERA in five career starts against the Tigers.
Mark Canha and Wenceel Perez on Friday. The other run scored on a single by Riley Greene that extended his hit streak to seven games. He is 12-for-28 (.429) on the streak with four doubles and six RBIs.
Canha (right wrist) left a win over the Los Angeles Dodgers last Saturday and received treatment during the break. “It’s being smart, managing my preparation and not overdoing it,” Canha said about managing the injury. “Not too many swings. I think that’s going to be big moving forward, but then also making sure I’m in the training room every day doing whatever I can to help myself out.” The homer was his seventh of the season and first since May 11.
“You have those droughts every once in a while,” Canha said. “It’s nice to finally get one.” Shortstop Javier Baez (lower back) also left the game last Saturday and did not play on Friday. He is scheduled to start Saturday. “He’s available and feeling great,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said.
Toronto had two-run homers from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer on Friday. Over his past 19 games, Springer is batting .362 (25-for-69) with six homers and 21 RBIs. Guerrero’s homer hit the facing of the second deck. “I think he broke a part of the scoreboard out there,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “That was a pretty impressive at-bat.” Guerrero’s 15th homer of the season came off the bat at 117.5 mph and traveled 445 feet.
Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette (right calf strain) was removed after the sixth inning on Friday and replaced by Leo Jimenez. Bichette was on the injured list June 15-24 with a similar injury. He also missed the four games before the All-Star break with a sore calf. “He’s going to get an MRI tomorrow and go from there,” Schneider said. “It sucks for him and for us.”
Detroit’s Gio Urshela continued to hit well in Toronto. He was 2-for-4 on Friday. He has played 27 career games at Rogers Centre and has gone 30-for-93 (.323) with three doubles, six homers and 15 RBIs.
The Blue Jays’ bullpen got some needed help on Friday. Toronto recalled right-hander Erik Swanson from Triple-A Buffalo and reinstated right-hander Yimi García (right elbow ulnar neuritis) from the injured list. Right-hander Zach Pop was optioned to Buffalo.
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