TORONTO (AP) 鈥� Jake Rogers hit his third career grand slam during a six-run sixth inning, and the Detroit Tigers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-3 on Saturday for their 10th win in 12 games.
Andy Ib谩帽ez had two hits and two RBIs for the Tigers. Rogers hit his seventh home run off Trevor Richards, who entered after the Tigers knocked Yusei Kikuchi (4-9) out of the game during their big inning.
鈥淲e鈥檙e having fun right now and need to keep it up,鈥� Rogers said.
Toronto slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 3 for 4 with a two-run homer, his 16th, but the slumping Blue Jays lost for the fourth time in five and matched a season worst by falling 10 games below .500.
Guerrero homered for the third straight game for the second time this season. He also did it June 27-29.
Tigers right-hander Reese Olson left after two innings because of a sore right shoulder. He threw 30 pitches, 16 strikes.
Olson used double-play grounders to strand runners in each of his two scoreless innings. He allowed two hits, both singles, and walked one.
鈥淗e came off the mound after the second inning kind of shaking his arm and said he didn鈥檛 feel very good,鈥� Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. 鈥淥nce he said his arm was bugging him we immediately pulled him and had to scurry to get someone up and going.鈥�
Right-hander Alex Faedo (5-1) replaced Olson in the third and pitched two innings.
鈥淎lex came in and did a great job,鈥� Hinch said.
Olson was not made available to reporters following the game. He鈥檒l return to Detroit to visit the Tigers team doctor, Hinch said.
鈥淚t was tough losing him and I hope he鈥檚 all right,鈥� catcher Rogers said.
Righty Kenta Maeda allowed three runs in two innings. Left-hander Tyler Horton pitched the seventh and eighth, and right-hander Shelby Miller finished.
Detroit clinched the season series against Toronto for the first time since 2018 with a 5-4 win Friday. The Tigers have won five of six meetings with the Blue Jays in 2024.
Kikuchi (4-9) allowed four runs and five hits in five-plus innings, extending his streak of winless outings to seven. Kikuchi has not won since June 11 at Milwaukee.
鈥淗e had good stuff again, then kind of lost his command at the end,鈥� manager John Schneider said.
Detroit鈥檚 Javier B谩ez returned to the lineup after leaving last Saturday鈥檚 win over the Dodgers and sitting out the final game before the All-Star break.
B谩ez finished 1 for 4 with two strikeouts. He singled and scored in the sixth.
Ib谩帽ez doubled home the game鈥檚 first run with two outs in the fifth.
Kikuchi left after the first three batters reached in the sixth. Richards came on and gave up a 391-foot home run to Rogers.
Ib谩帽ez added an RBI single off Richards and later scored on a wild pitch by left-hander Brendon Little.
TRAINER鈥橲 ROOM
The Blue Jays put SS Bo Bichette on the 10-day IL because of a strained right calf and recalled Addison Barger from Triple-A Buffalo. Schneider said Bichette has a 鈥渕oderate鈥� strain and is expected to miss 鈥渕ultiple weeks.鈥� The two-time All-Star left Friday鈥檚 game after six innings. He pulled up running from home plate to first base.
UP NEXT
RHP Kevin Gausman (7-8, 4.50 ERA) is scheduled to start as the Blue Jays seek to avoid a sweep in Sunday鈥檚 series finale. RHP Keider Montero (1-2, 5.47) goes for the Tigers.
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AP MLB:
Ian Harrison, The Associated Press
