Riley Greene had a solo homer and a two-run double as the visiting Detroit Tigers held on to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 on Friday night.
Zach McKinstry and Javier Baez also homered for the Tigers, who won their fourth in a row while taking the opener of the three-game Rivalry Weekend series.
Daulton Varsho hit a two-run homer for the Blue Jays and Bo Bichette added a solo shot.
Greene led off the second with a home run to center on a first-pitch curveball from right-hander Bowden Francis (2-6).
Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty (2-5) avoided trouble in the second when Baez made a diving catch of Nathan Lukes’ liner to right-center field and doubled Addison Barger off first base.
McKinstry led off the fourth with a homer to right on a full-count splitter to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.
Detroit added two more runs in the fifth. Kerry Carpenter and Colt Keith singled and both scored on Greene’s double into the right-field corner. The Tigers loaded the bases with two outs on two walks and Mason Fluharty replaced Francis, who finished his 4 2/3 innings with four runs allowed on eight hits, two walks and six strikeouts.
Toronto pulled within 4-2 in the sixth when Varsho hit a two-run homer to left on an 0-2 outside fastball. He drove in Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who singled on a dribbler to third base. Brenan Hanifee replaced Flaherty, who allowed two runs, five hits and one walk while striking out six in 5 2/3 innings.
Barger doubled with one out in the seventh on a drive that hit the top of the center-field wall. It was originally called a home run, but a video review determined it was a double. Barger scored when Myles Straw grounded a single to right.
Baez homered to deep left-center field on Chad Green’s 0-1 fastball with two out in the eighth to boost the Tigers’ lead to 5-3. Bichette answered in the bottom of the eighth with a leadoff homer to left on a changeup from Tommy Kahnle.
Beau Brieske pitched around two singles in the ninth to earn his first save of the season.
Lukes left the game in the seventh with a migraine and was replaced by Straw in right field.
–Field Level Media
