Blue Jays 6, Tigers 5 (19): Jose Bautista delivered a walk-off RBI single in the 19th inning as host Toronto outlasted Detroit to take the rubber match of a three-game set and end the longest game in franchise history.
The Blue Jays, who rallied from a five-run deficit in the sixth to tie it up in the ninth, left the bases loaded in the 13th and 15th before finally breaking through in the same situation in the 19th against Rick Porcello (13-7). Munenori Kawasaki led off with a single, advanced on Porcello’s throwing error on Jose Reyes' sacrifice bunt attempt and took third following an intentional walk to Melky Cabrera before Bautista, who finished 1-for-8, lined to the warning track in right to end the 6-hour, 37-minute marathon
Chad Jenkins (1-1) allowed seven hits over six scoreless innings to post his second career win and cap 15 2/3 frames of scoreless relief for the Blue Jays, who moved within five games of Baltimore in the American League East and remained 1 1/2 games behind Kansas City in the race for the second wild-card spot. Reyes had four hits for Toronto and Torii Hunter tallied four of the Tigers’ 22 hits as Detroit’s lead over the Royals in the AL Central fell to a half-game.
Assisted by a two-out fielding error by Reyes at shortstop, the Tigers loaded the bases and struck for three unearned runs in the first when J.D. Martinez plated a pair with a liner past Reyes and Nick Castellanos followed with an RBI single. Martinez drove in Miguel Cabrera for the second time in as many at-bats in the third with a double just in front of the left-field wall while Ian Kinsler’s run-scoring double in the fourth ended Mark Buehrle’s start.
Detroit held its five-run advantage until the sixth when Danny Valencia doubled on a comebacker off David Price’s left knee and Dioner Navarro drilled the next pitch over the fence in left. Reyes and Melky Cabrera cut into the deficit even further in the seventh with consecutive RBI singles before Joba Chamberlain gave up the tying run in the ninth after Anthony Gose was ruled safe on a stolen base attempt following a challenge by manager John Gibbons after he initially was ruled out.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Detroit manager Brad Ausmus was ejected by home plate umpire Bill Miller after the top half of the third for arguing balls and strikes. … Toronto won the season series 5-1, scoring 24 of its 33 runs against Detroit in the sixth inning or after. … Buehrle was charged with five runs (two earned) and nine hits in 3 1/3 frames while Price yielded four runs on five hits and three walks over six-plus innings to remain winless in two starts with the Tigers since he was acquired at the trade deadline from Tampa Bay.
Detroit | Toronto | |
David Price | Player | Mark Buehrle |
No Decision | W/L | No Decision |
6.0 | IP | 3.1 |
6 | Strikeouts | 4 |
5 | Hits | 9 |
6.00 | ERA | 5.40 |
Detroit | Toronto | |
Torii Hunter | Player | Jose Reyes |
4 | Hits | 4 |
0 | RBI | 2 |
0 | HR | 0 |
4 | TB | 4 |
.444 | Avg | .444 |