Tigers clip Blue Jays in extra innings
TORONTO — The Blue Jays continue to flounder in extrainning games this season.
Toronto lost 4-1 in 10 innings to the Detroit Tigers at Rogers Centre on Friday, the team’s eighth loss in its 10th outing requiring extra innings this year.
Detroit’s Harold Castro came through with a pinch-hit, two-out RBI hit in the 10th inning off Blue Jays reliever Trevor Richards. He looped a single into left field with Willi Castro on second as the automatic extra-inning runner.
A walk to Robbie Grossman and back-to-back singles from Jonathan Schoop and Jeimer Candelario pushed across two more runs for the Tigers (59-65).
The Blue Jays (63-57) have lost three in a row and seven of their last 10 outings. They have not performed up to snuff since climbing back into the American League wild-card race after a 9-2 run in their Rogers Centre return between July 30 and Aug. 8.
“There is something to that when you try a little harder,” Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said.
Two late-game situations in which the Blue Jays didn’t execute were on Detroit’s winning run, and a muffed bunt attempt by pinch hitter Breyvic Valera in the ninth inning.
On Harold Castro’s looper to left, Toronto outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had a chance to throw out Willi Castro at the plate. But Gurriel’s attempt was well up the first baseline.
In the ninth, Teoscar Hernandez and Gurriel coaxed successive walks. Then, with none out and two strikes on him, Valera bunted hard to Schoop. The Tigers first baseman had time to narrowly get Hernandez on a force-out at third.
Randal Grichuk then hit into the home side’s fourth double play on the evening.
“We didn’t execute. That was the bottom line,” Montoyo said.
Toronto starter Robbie Ray and his Detroit counterpart Tyler Alexander were excellent.
Ray went a strong eight innings, striking out 11 and only surrendering five hits. Alexander lasted seven innings, striking out six and just one run on four hits.