Jake Rogers hit his third career grand slam in the sixth inning when the Detroit Tigers scored six runs, leading them to a 7-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday. It was the Tigers’ 10th win in 12 games.
Andy Ibáñez contributed with two hits and two RBIs for the Tigers. Rogers connected for his seventh home run against Trevor Richards, who came in after Yusei Kikuchi was removed from the game during Detroit’s big inning.
“We’re enjoying ourselves right now and need to keep the momentum going,” Rogers said.
Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a strong game with three hits, including a two-run homer, his 16th of the season. Despite his performance, the struggling Blue Jays lost for the fourth time in five games and dropped to 10 games below .500, matching their season low.
Guerrero has now homered in three consecutive games for the second time this season, previously achieving it from June 27-29.
The Tigers faced a setback when right-hander Reese Olson left the game after two innings due to discomfort in his right shoulder. He threw 30 pitches, with 16 strikes, and managed to strand runners with double-play grounders in both scoreless innings. Olson’s early exit forced manager A.J. Hinch to bring in Alex Faedo (5-1) in relief, who pitched two solid innings.
“Alex came in and did a great job,” Hinch commented. Following the game, Olson did not speak to reporters and will return to Detroit to see the team doctor for further evaluation. “It was tough losing him, and I hope he’s okay,” said catcher Rogers.
Kenta Maeda, a right-handed pitcher, allowed three runs over two innings, while left-hander Tyler Horton handled the seventh and eighth innings, and right-hander Shelby Miller closed out the game for the Tigers.
