TORONTO (AP) ā Mark Canha and Wenceel PĆ©rez hit two-run homers, Jack Flaherty struck out eight in 5 2/3 innings to win for the sixth time in seven starts and the Detroit Tigers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 on Friday night for their third straight victory and ninth in 11.
All-Star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and outfielder George Springer had two-run homers for Toronto. The Blue Jays lost for the third time in four games. Theyāre 12-18 in one-run outcomes.
Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette left after six innings because of a strained right calf.
The two-time All-Star and two-time AL hits leader lined out to right field to end the sixth and was injured running to first base, hopping down the line in pain.
āHeās going to get an MRI tomorrow and go from there,ā manager John Schneider said. āIt sucks for him and for us.ā
Leo JimƩnez replaced Bichette in the top of the seventh.
Flaherty retired the first 13 batters in order before Bichette singled in the fifth. Daulton Varsho followed with a bloop hit but Flaherty struck out Alejandro Kirk and Ernie Clement.
Flaherty (7-5) allowed two runs and three hits. Heās 6-1 since a May 23 home loss to Toronto.
āItās hard to argue itās not a great outing given all the swings and misses he got,ā Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. āFive-plus scoreless before the last swing of his outing. Weāll take that every time and feel good about it.ā
Guerrero chased Flaherty with a 445-foot drive in the sixth that had an exit velocity of 117.5 mph. The homer was Guerreroās 15th.
Flaherty is 3-1 with a 2.35 ERA in four career starts against Toronto.
āIt seems like every time out heās capable of that,ā Canha said. āHeās been the rock for us. Heās one of those guys where youāre like. āMan, where would we be without him?āā
Tigers right-hander Will Vest got one out in the sixth, and Andrew Chafin worked the seventh.
Springer made it 5-4 with a homer off right-hander Beau Brieske in the eighth, his 11th. Jason Foley replaced Briekse and stranded the tying run at second base.
Left-hander Tyler Holton pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his third save in three chances.
āWe got the outs when we needed them,ā Hinch said.
Detroitās Matt Vierling doubled to begin the fourth and scored on Riley Greeneās single. Canha followed with a home run off right-hander and former Oakland teammate Chris Bassitt (8-8), his seventh.
Canha said Bassitt had a question for him the next time he came to the plate.
āHe said something like āHowād you hit that pitch?ā really loud,ā Canha said. āI just chuckled. Heās a great pitcher. Iām just happy to get my old buddy, get him once.ā
Canhaās homer was his first since a May 11 win against Houston.
āYou have those droughts every once in a while,ā Canha said. āItās nice to finally get one.ā
Cahna left last Saturdayās win over the Dodgers because of a sore right wrist and didnāt play Sundayā in the final game before the All-Star break.
PĆ©rez chased Bassitt with a two-out drive in the seventh. The homer was PĆ©rezās sixth.
āHe just caught the bottom of the ball and the ball flew,ā Hinch said.
Bassitt allowed five runs and seven hits.
ROSTER MOVES
Blue Jays: Toronto activated RHP Yimi GarcĆa (elbow) off the 15-day injured list and recalled RHP Erik Swanson from Triple-A Buffalo. RHP Zach Pop was optioned to Triple-A.
TRAINERāS ROOM
Tigers: INF Javier BĆ”ez (lower back) is expected to return to the lineup Saturday, Hinch said. BĆ”ez left last Saturdayās win over the Dodgers, his sixth game after being on the injured list for a month.
Blue Jays: Former NL MVP Joey Votto was during pregame warmups. ⦠Bichette returned from the injured list June 24 after missing nine games because of a sore right calf. He left a July 10 game at San Francisco because of calf soreness and sat out the final four games before the All-Star break.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays LHP Yusei Kikuchi (4-8, 4.42 ERA) was scheduled to start against Tigers RHP Reese Olson (4-8, 3.30) on Saturday.
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AP MLB:
Ian Harrison, The Associated Press