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Four-run seventh pushes Blue Jays past Tigers

Aug 13, 2008 - 4:15 AM DETROIT (Ticker) -- The Toronto Blue Jays had plenty of trouble solving Detroit Tigers starter Zach Miner on Tuesday. They had a lot more success against the Tigers' bullpen.

The Blue Jays sent nine batters to the plate in the seventh inning and scored four runs to beat the Detroit Tigers, 6-4, in the second game of a four-game series.

Toronto entered the top of the decisive inning trailing, 4-1, but a two-run double by Vernon Wells capped the frame for the Blue Jays, who have taken the first two games in Detroit after dropping three straight to the Cleveland Indians at home.

"This was a real team effort. We battled from the start," Toronto manager Cito Gaston said. "It's something that we haven't done in a long time. We missed a few chances at the start, but after they took the lead, we picked it up and took control."

Adam Lind had his first of three hits, a two-out homer, in the second to give Toronto an early lead. He drove in two runs and also added a pair of runs scored.

"He (Miner) was getting us with his sinker," Lind said. "This time he threw me a fastball up and I got all of it."

The Tigers tied the game, 1-1, on Gary Sheffield's first of two solo home runs in the bottom half of the second off Blue Jays starter A.J. Burnett.

Miner and Burnett (15-9) matched zeroes for the next three frames before the Tigers tallied three runs in the sixth.

Magglio Ordonez led off the inning with a home run and, after Burnett retired Orlando Cabrera and Matt Joyce, Sheffield hit his second homer to push the Tigers' lead to 3-1. Edgar Renteria and Brandon Inge followed with back-to-back doubles to add another run.

Burnett allowed four runs over six innings to earn his fifth straight win. Brandon League and Scott Downs each pitched a scoreless inning and B.J. Ryan threw a perfect ninth for his 23rd save.

"I made a couple of mistakes, but I was able to make the rest of my pitches," Burnett said. "The big thing was that I didn't let that first home run bother me. It was a good pitch that he hit. If you let things like that get to you, you never get yourself straight."

The Detroit bullpen took over in the top of the seventh and spoiled another solid effort by Miner. Bobby Seay gave up a leadoff single to Lind and a one-out double to John McDonald to put runners at second and third. The lefthander then retired Joe Inglett on an RBI groundout before he was relieved by Joel Zumaya.

Zumaya did not retire a batter, allowing an RBI single to Marco Scutaro and walking Alex Rios before Wells drove a two-RBI double to center to give the Blue Jays a 5-4 lead. Zumaya walked two more to load the bases before Kyle Farnsworth came on for the final out of the inning.

"It's not a very proud (bullpen) staff. That's the way it is," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "We had a chance to shut the game down and just didn't get it done."

Miner allowed a run and five hits in six innings, walking one and striking out five. In his six starts since the All-Star break, Miner has posted a 2.14 ERA, going 3-1.

"I've been there before where those guys (the bullpen) are. They're just going out there trying to get outs," he said. "We came back n the sixth. We weren't able to close it out. That's the way it is sometimes."