TORONTO (AP) 鈥� George Springer hit two home runs, including the 58th leadoff shot of his career, and the Toronto Blue Jays avoided a three-game sweep by beating the Detroit Tigers 5-4 on Sunday.
Ernie Clement delivered a tiebreaking single in the sixth inning and Toronto outfielder Daulton Varsho with two runners on to preserve the one-run lead in the eighth.
鈥淛ust a game-changing play,鈥� Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 made a lot of those in the outfield. We hit it to the wrong guy.鈥�
Springer went 3 for 4 with three RBIs and Clement reached base three times as the Blue Jays won for the second time in seven meetings with Detroit this season.
Justyn-Henry Malloy off Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman, a two-out drive in the fifth, but the Tigers couldn鈥檛 extend a four-game winning streak.
Springer connected off Keider Montero (1-3) in the first, then drove in Clement with a one-out shot in the third. The home runs were his 12th and 13th of the year.
鈥淲hen George is right, having that power threat every single time he steps into the box kind of changes the complexion of our lineup,鈥� Toronto manager John Schneider said. 鈥淗e definitely did that today.鈥�
It was Springer鈥檚 second multi-homer game this season and the 23rd of his career. After a rough start, Springer is batting .377 with six doubles, eight home runs and 25 RBIs over his past 21 games.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a catalyst for us,鈥� Gausman said.
Springer is second to Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson (81) on baseball鈥檚 all-time list for leadoff home runs. The outfielder has hit 19 since joining the Blue Jays before the 2021 season.
鈥淚鈥檓 not trying to do it,鈥� Springer said. 鈥淗itting first, I understand it鈥檚 my responsibility to do a lot of things, to let guys see velocity, spin, all that stuff. It鈥檚 also my job to get on base. However I鈥檓 able to do it, I鈥檒l take it.鈥�
Malloy鈥檚 slam, his sixth homer of the season, put Detroit up 4-3, but Spencer Horwitz tied it with an RBI single off Montero in the bottom half.
Clement restored Toronto鈥檚 lead with a two-out single off right-hander Will Vest in the sixth.
Gausman (8-8) allowed four runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings to win consecutive starts for the first time since beating Detroit on May 23 and the White Sox on May 28.
G茅nesis Cabrera got two outs but exited after putting runners at first and second in the eighth. Chad Green came on to face Carson Kelly, who hit a drive to deep left, where Varsho had just moved after four-time Gold Glove winner Kevin Kiermaier came on to play center. Varsho leaped above the scoreboard to make the catch.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the highest I鈥檝e ever seen him jump,鈥� Gausman said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 unbelievable.鈥�
Green got five outs for his seventh save in seven chances.
Montero allowed five runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.
The Tigers hit grand slams in consecutive games for the first time since doing it against Philadelphia and Washington in July 2013. Detroit catcher Jake Rogers hit a grand slam in Saturday鈥檚 7-3 win.
TRAINER鈥橲 ROOM
Detroit put RHP Reese Olson on the 15-day injured list because of a strained shoulder. Olson left Saturday鈥檚 start after two innings.
ROSTER MOVES
The Tigers selected the contract of utilityman Bligh Madris from Triple-A Toledo and recalled LHP Easton Lucas from Triple-A. To make room for Madris on the 40-man roster, OF Kerry Carpenter (back) was transferred to the 60-day IL.
UP NEXT
Tigers: LHP Tarik Skubal (10-3, 2.41 ERA) is scheduled to start Monday at Cleveland against RHP Carlos Carrasco (3-7, 5.02).
Blue Jays: RHP Jos茅 Berr铆os (8-7, 4.01 ERA) starts Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series against Tampa Bay. The Rays had not announced a scheduled starter.
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AP MLB:
Ian Harrison, The Associated Press
