Jays down Tigers to avoid series sweep
Global News
George Springer's two homers and Ernie Clement's game-winning single in the sixth inning pushed the Toronto Blue Jays to a 5-4 victory to avoid a sweep against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.
TORONTO – George Springer’s two homers and Ernie Clement’s game-winning single in the sixth inning pushed the Toronto Blue Jays to a 5-4 victory to avoid a sweep against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.
Springer went 3-for-4 with homers to left field in the first and second innings to help cool the red-hot Tigers (49-51) before 38,766 at Rogers Centre.
The Blue Jays (45-54) halted the visitors’ four-game win streak, but Detroit has enjoyed an 11-5 record in July.
Daulton Varsho also made a game-saving catch, leaping up against the left-field wall to snag Carson Kelly’s long fly ball with two on and one out in the eighth inning off reliever Chad Green, who later snatched his seventh save.
With his second single, Clement knocked in Justin Turner with two out in the sixth to push the Blue Jays in front by a run.
Trailing 4-3 in the fifth inning, Springer exhibited hustle to gain a one-out double to left field. He scored the tying run on a single to centre from Spencer Horwitz.
From his right-field position, Springer also ran down Gio Urshela’s foul pop-up just beyond first base to snare the second out in the fifth inning.
After leading off with a homer, Springer slammed his second long ball to left field in the second inning with Clement aboard for Springer’s 23rd multiple-homer game of his career and a 3-0 lead.
