Greene drives in three runs as Tigers edge Jays

TORONTO – Riley Greene homered and added a two-run double to spark the Detroit Tigers to a 5-4 series-opening win against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday.

Greene homered in the second inning and knocked in two more runs in the fifth.

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Zach McKinstry and Javier Baez also belted solo homers in the fourth and eighth innings, respectively, to give the American League-leading Tigers (30-15) their fourth consecutive victory before 23,146 at Rogers Centre.

Bo Bichette began the bottom half of the eighth with a solo shot to left field, his fourth, off reliever Tommy Kahnle to bring the Blue Jays (21-23) within a run.

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With the Blue Jays down 4-0, Varsho belted a two-run shot in the sixth, scoring Vladimir Guerrero Jr. It was Varsho’s sixth home run of the year.

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Toronto starter Bowden Francis (2-6) lasted 4 2/3 innings, giving up four runs on eight hits and two walks with six strikeouts.

Detroit’s Jack Flaherty (2-5) also struck out six in 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits with a walk. Beau Brieske pitched the ninth. He gave up a pair of two-out singles, but hung on for his first save.

Takeaways

Tigers: Flaherty, who won a World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers last fall, halted a five-game losing streak, the longest of his career.

Blue Jays: Manager John Schneider decided to give Anthony Santander a day off. The free-agent acquisition has struggled with a .187 average, five homers and 16 RBI after a career-best 44 homers in 2024.

Key Moment

Detroit centre-fielder Baez stretched out to save an extra-base hit from Nathan Lukes in the right-field gap. Baez then doubled off Addison Barger at first base after his second-inning leadoff walk.

Key Stat

Francis has given up 14 home runs this season after the two dingers by Greene and McKinstry. It’s the most allowed by a pitcher in Major League Baseball so far this season.

Up Next

The Blue Jays had not announced a starter for Saturday, meaning it likely will be a bullpen outing. The Tigers will counter with righty Reese Olson (4-3).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2025.

&© 2025 The Canadian Press