TORONTO (AP) 鈥� Mark Canha and Wenceel P茅rez hit two-run homers, Jack Flaherty struck out eight in 5 2/3 innings to win for the sixth time in seven starts and the Detroit Tigers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 on Friday night for their third straight victory and ninth in 11.
All-Star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and outfielder George Springer had two-run homers for Toronto. The Blue Jays lost for the third time in four games. They鈥檙e 12-18 in one-run outcomes.
Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette left after six innings because of a strained right calf.
The two-time All-Star and two-time AL hits leader lined out to right field to end the sixth and was injured running to first base, hopping down the line in pain.
鈥淗e鈥檚 going to get an MRI tomorrow and go from there,鈥� manager John Schneider said. 鈥淚t sucks for him and for us.鈥�
Leo Jim茅nez replaced Bichette in the top of the seventh.
Flaherty retired the first 13 batters in order before Bichette singled in the fifth. Daulton Varsho followed with a bloop hit but Flaherty struck out Alejandro Kirk and Ernie Clement.
Flaherty (7-5) allowed two runs and three hits. He鈥檚 6-1 since a May 23 home loss to Toronto.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to argue it鈥檚 not a great outing given all the swings and misses he got,鈥� Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. 鈥淔ive-plus scoreless before the last swing of his outing. We鈥檒l take that every time and feel good about it.鈥�
Guerrero chased Flaherty with a 445-foot drive in the sixth that had an exit velocity of 117.5 mph. The homer was Guerrero鈥檚 15th.
Flaherty is 3-1 with a 2.35 ERA in four career starts against Toronto.
鈥淚t seems like every time out he鈥檚 capable of that,鈥� Canha said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 been the rock for us. He鈥檚 one of those guys where you鈥檙e like. 鈥楳an, where would we be without him?鈥欌��
Tigers right-hander Will Vest got one out in the sixth, and Andrew Chafin worked the seventh.
Springer made it 5-4 with a homer off right-hander Beau Brieske in the eighth, his 11th. Jason Foley replaced Briekse and stranded the tying run at second base.
Left-hander Tyler Holton pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his third save in three chances.
鈥淲e got the outs when we needed them,鈥� Hinch said.
Detroit鈥檚 Matt Vierling doubled to begin the fourth and scored on Riley Greene鈥檚 single. Canha followed with a home run off right-hander and former Oakland teammate Chris Bassitt (8-8), his seventh.
Canha said Bassitt had a question for him the next time he came to the plate.
鈥淗e said something like 鈥楬ow鈥檇 you hit that pitch?鈥� really loud,鈥� Canha said. 鈥淚 just chuckled. He鈥檚 a great pitcher. I鈥檓 just happy to get my old buddy, get him once.鈥�
Canha鈥檚 homer was his first since a May 11 win against Houston.
鈥淵ou have those droughts every once in a while,鈥� Canha said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to finally get one.鈥�
Cahna left last Saturday鈥檚 win over the Dodgers because of a sore right wrist and didn鈥檛 play Sunday鈥� in the final game before the All-Star break.
P茅rez chased Bassitt with a two-out drive in the seventh. The homer was P茅rez鈥檚 sixth.
鈥淗e just caught the bottom of the ball and the ball flew,鈥� Hinch said.
Bassitt allowed five runs and seven hits.
ROSTER MOVES
Blue Jays: Toronto activated RHP Yimi Garc铆a (elbow) off the 15-day injured list and recalled RHP Erik Swanson from Triple-A Buffalo. RHP Zach Pop was optioned to Triple-A.
TRAINER鈥橲 ROOM
Tigers: INF Javier B谩ez (lower back) is expected to return to the lineup Saturday, Hinch said. B谩ez left last Saturday鈥檚 win over the Dodgers, his sixth game after being on the injured list for a month.
Blue Jays: Former NL MVP Joey Votto was during pregame warmups. 鈥� Bichette returned from the injured list June 24 after missing nine games because of a sore right calf. He left a July 10 game at San Francisco because of calf soreness and sat out the final four games before the All-Star break.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays LHP Yusei Kikuchi (4-8, 4.42 ERA) was scheduled to start against Tigers RHP Reese Olson (4-8, 3.30) on Saturday.
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AP MLB:
Ian Harrison, The Associated Press
