Blue Jays 7 - 3 Tigers
Final
  for this game

Blue Jays complete sweep of Tigers

Jun 6, 2014 - 2:57 AM Detroit, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - Juan Francisco and Brett Lawrie stroked back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning to help the Toronto Blue Jays complete a three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers with a 7-3 win at Comerica Park on Thursday.

Francisco smacked a tiebreaking, two-run homer and Lawrie followed with a solo shot. Erik Kratz drove in two runs for the Blue Jays, who have won five straight games, 17 of their last 20 and swept the Tigers for the first time since April 5-7, 2004.

"We're just coming to play," Lawrie said. "We're worrying about what we've got to worry about as a team and just executing what we need to do."

J.A. Happ (5-2) tossed 6 1/3 innings, allowing just three runs on seven hits and two walks to earn the win.

Justin Verlander (6-5) was tagged for six runs -- five earned -- on eight hits and four walks over seven innings of work to absorb his third loss in his last four starts.

Ian Kinsler had a pair of RBI and Nick Castellanos collected three hits and scored a run for the Tigers, who have lost a season-high five straight games.

Francisco crushed a go-ahead, two-run homer on a first-pitch changeup in the sixth inning to break a 3-3 tie. Adam Lind had a leadoff walk to reach base. Lawrie then smacked a solo shot to left to give the Blue Jays a three-run advantage.

Melky Cabrera made it 7-3 in the ninth with a solo homer to left off reliever Phil Coke.

Castellanos doubled to lead off the third. Kinsler slapped a slider that dropped just fair in left field in front of the diving glove of Cabrera. Kinsler hustled to third for a triple and scored on Torii Hunter's sac fly to center to make it 2-0 Tigers early on.

On a Jose Bautista routine fly ball to start the fourth, the ball went off the side of Hunter's glove in right field to put Bautista on second. Lind singled and Lawrie drew a one-out walk to load the bases.

"That's my bad. If I catch that ball, [starter Justin Verlander] wouldn't have those extra pitches, and they probably wouldn't score those three runs there," Hunter said. "I take full responsibility."

Dioner Navarro had an RBI single to left on a hanging breaking ball and Kratz followed by driving in two with a base hit to left to give Toronto a 3-2 lead.

Detroit tied it at 3-3 in the fifth. With runners on second and third with one out, Kinsler grounded out to third to plate Alex Avila.

Game Notes

The Blue Jays lead the AL with 87 home runs and also lead the league with five back-to-back homers ... Francisco, Lawrie and Cabrera all have 10 homers on the season ... Toronto's first baseman Edwin Encarnacion wasn't in the lineup on Thursday due to what the team describes as a minor back problem ... The Tigers went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.






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