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Blue Jays eye series win in Detroit

Apr 11, 2013 - 1:52 PM (Sports Network) - The Toronto Blue Jays looked like the team everyone thought they would be on Wednesday. Now they go after their first series win of the season on Thursday in the rubber match of a three-game set with the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.

Toronto seemed headed towards another loss on Wednesday, but J.P. Arencibia's go-ahead, bases-clearing double highlighted a four-run seventh inning and lifted the Blue Jays to an 8-6 win. Edwin Encarnacion had a pair of doubles and runs scored with an RBI for Toronto, which won for only the third time in eight tries this season.

"It was huge, we haven't been able to put together innings as far as one guy gets a hit, then that's the hit for that inning," Arencibia said. "One guy gets a walk and then maybe a double play, that's been just the beginning of the year so far.

"It was nice to get a few hits and walks and guys grinding out at-bats and stringing it all in the same inning, because it's been one or the other, but to score you need to be able to do that collectively in an inning, and we were able to do that."

Aaron Loup (1-0) spun a scoreless sixth to notch the win.

Miguel Cabrera racked up two hits and a run scored for the Tigers, while Brayan Villareal (0-1) absorbed the loss.

"We had a 6-1 lead," manager Jim Leyland said, "and we let it get away."

Getting the call for the Blue Jays on Thursday will be righty Josh Johnson, who was somewhat effective his first time out. Johnson, though, did not get a decision in his Toronto debut on Friday against Boston, as he allowed four runs (3 earned) and nine hits in six innings.

"Being able to battle, dig down and just find ways to get outs," Johnson said of the positives to take from the game. "It didn't matter what pitch I was going to throw, just make pretty good pitches when I needed to."

Detroit, meanwhile, will counter with righty Doug Fister, who beat the New York Yankees in his initial start of the season. Fister held the Yankees to three runs and six hits in five innings.

Fister has faced the Blue Jays four times and is 1-2 with a 3.77 ERA.

Toronto lost four of six matchups with Detroit a season ago.