TORONTO r12; The Detroit Tigers will start a former Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Saturday afternoon for the second game in a row in another attempt to end a losing streak that has reached 10 games.
Former Blue Jays left-hander Francisco Liriano could not do the job Friday night r12; allowing three runs in six innings r12; as the Blue Jays defeated the Tigers 3-2 in the opener of a four-game series at the Rogers Centre.
This time Muhammad Wilkerson Jersey , the former Blue Jay is Matt Boyd (4-6, 4.15 ERA), who will face Toronto right-hander Sam Gaviglio (2-2, 3.98) in the second game of the series.
The Tigers (36-47), who are 13-26 on the road, have lost 10 games in a row for the first time since Sept. 13-22, 2003, the season in which they lost 119 games.
r0;We had some opportunities, but itr17;s the same story,r1; Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. r0;You pitch really good and you donr17;t score, or you donr17;t pitch good enough and it just extends on. The guys are really trying, theyr17;re bothered out there and theyr17;re frustrated. They want to win, the guys are really pushing hard in the dugout, but itr17;s just not happening right now.r1;
The Tigers have lost 11 of their past 13 games in Toronto.
The Blue Jays (38-43), who were returning from a 3-4 road trip that easily could have been better, have won nine of their past 10 home games. They are 21-20 at home.
Boyd took the loss Sunday at Cleveland when he allowed six runs, eight hits and two walks while striking out five in three innings.
The start Saturday will be his 16th of the season.
In four career starts against the Blue Jays, Boyd is 0-1 with a 4.24 ERA. He did not factor in the decision June 2 against Toronto at Comerica Park when he gave up four runs, six hits and two walks in seven innings. He struck out three.
Boyd, who was sent to the Tigers July 30, 2015 Authentic Richard Rodgers Jersey , as part of the trade that sent David Price to the Blue Jays, is 0-3 with an 8.66 ERA in four career starts at the Rogers Centre.
Gaviglio will be making his 10th appearance and eighth start of the season.
In his past three starts, he is 0-1 with a 7.50 ERA and has pitched only 12 innings.
He has faced the Tigers once in his career, allowing two runs in five innings in a no decision.
The Tigers have been outscored 64-26 during their losing streak.
Before the game Friday, the Blue Jays selected the contract of utility player Darnell Sweeney from Triple-A Buffalo. He was batting .232 with six homers and 21 RBIs in 47 games. He has played all infield positions except first base, both corner outfield positions and also pitched a scoreless inning.
Sweeney takes the roster spot of outfielder Steve Pearce, who was traded Thursday night to the Boston Red Sox for shortstop Santiago Espinal, who will play at Class A Dunedin.
Moving Pearce means that Kendrys Morales will again see regular use as the designated hitter and breaks up a logjam in the outfield. The Blue Jays return to four outfielders with Teoscar Hernandez, Randal Grichuk, Kevin Pillar and Curtis Granderson.
Espinal, 23, batted .313 with seven homers and 32 RBIs in 65 games with Class A Salem in the Red Sox organization.
r0;Middle-of-the-diamond players, you canr17;t have enough of them,r1; Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Friday. r0;The athleticism, thatr17;s where it all begins. If you can play in the middle, you can often play anywhere else, so thatr17;s first and foremost. (Espinal) is an above-average runner and performing well at a decent level, so therer17;s plenty to like.r1;
WASHINGTON r12; Red-hot Mark Reynolds and the Washington Nationals will go for the sweep in the finale of their four-game series against the Miami Marlins on Sunday.
Reynolds followed up his dramatic walk-off homer Friday night with two homers and a career-high 10 RBIs Saturday night as the Nationals demolished the Marlins 18-4.
In five at-bats, Reynolds homered, doubled, singled Authentic Joseph Noteboom Jersey , homered and singled to tie his career high for hits along with the Nationalsr17; RBI mark.
r0;Yeah thatr17;s like a good two weeks,r1; Reynolds said. r0;I mean like my last hit a guy dove and it went off his glove and went into left field. You got a little luck involved. Sometimes you just take a good swing the night before and feel confident going into the next day and thatr17;s what happened.r1;
Since their team meeting following a July 4 loss to the Red Sox the Nationals (45-43) have won three straight, scoring 35 runs.
Manager Dave Martinez should rest easy, but now has a pleasant problem: where to put the righty Reynolds on Sunday when the Marlins pitch a right-hander and his other two first base options are lefty hitters.
r0;Ir17;ve seen him like this, when he gets hot like this he can stay hot for a while, so wer17;ll have to figure something out,r1; Martinez said.
The Marlins got homers from Starlin Castro, J.T. Realmuto and Yadiel Rivera against Max Scherzer in a game that was tied 3-3 going to the bottom of the fifth before Washington pulled away for its 14th straight win over Miami.
r0;We havenr17;t had any success with them in a while now,r1; manager Don Mattingly said. r0;Theyr17;re a good lineup up and down, but wer17;ve pitched better than this.r1;
Scherzer (11-5) picked up his first win since June 5. Washington had been shut out in three of his past five starts.
r0;I remember I said after Tampa the run support is going to be there,r1; he said. r0;These guys are too good.r1;
Miami rookie Trevor Richards (2-5, 5.26 ERA) opposes right-hander Tanner Roark (3-10, 4.60) in the finale.
Roark is looking for his first win since June 6. Last time out he allowed nine runs on 10 hits r12; including two home runs r12; over seven innings of a loss to the Red Sox as he stayed in after a six-run fifth to save the arms in a tired bullpen.
r0;Thatr17;s the best Ir17;ve felt in a long time,r1; Roark told MLB.com. r0;So other than two pitches, I feel like they base-hit me to death. What are you going to do?r1;
Roark is 5-8 with a 3.99 ERA in 22 games against the Marlins. Martin Prado is 10-for-23 against Roark and J.T. Realmuto is 10-for-26. Justin Bour is 5-for-29 but three of the hits were home runs.
Richards, who will make his first start against Washington, allowed four runs on nine hits with no walks across five innings in a no-decision Tuesday against the Rays. He struck out five. He is 2-3 with a 5.52 ERA since being recalled from Triple-A New Orleans on June 7.
r0;Wer17;ve had a rough series so far,r1; Mattingly said. r0;Hopefully Trevor gets us on track tomorrow and we can put a win together and move on.r1;
