News
Hill's ninth-inning blast powers Jays
Fourth Toronto dinger stuns Detroit in hard-fought battle
By Mike Scott / Special to MLB.com
09/13/09 12:20 AM ET
DETROIT -- There were times Saturday night when it was difficult to tell whether the Blue Jays and the Tigers were playing a regulation baseball game or competing in a home run derby.Comerica Park has never been known as a home run hitter's haven. But baseballs were flying out, as the two teams combined to hit seven into the outfield seats. And the perfect takeoff for Toronto came in the ninth inning, courtesy of Aaron Hill's 32nd roundtripper of the season. It was the difference in a come-from-behind victory as the Blue Jays dropped the Tigers, 8-6.
Hill's two-out, two-run homer came off Detroit closer Fernando Rodney (2-4), who took the loss in a non-save situation. The Tigers were prevented from further extending their American League Central lead, which sits at five games over the White Sox. Brandon League (3-5) pitched perfect sixth and seventh innings for the win in relief.
"It was a good night for some big hits," said Toronto manager Cito Gaston. "It's nice to get those clutch hits."
The Blue Jays scored five runs in the final four innings to erase a three-run Detroit lead. Edwin Jackson allowed three home runs and five runs through seven innings in the start for the Tigers, but he failed to get the victory after a Brandon Lyon wild pitch in the top of the eighth inning scored Vernon Wells from third to tie the score at 6.
Wells and Marco Scutaro each had three hits and a solo home run. Rod Barajas also homered for the Blue Jays, who have won five of six games from Detroit this season.
The Tigers would threaten in the ninth, when Brandon Inge led off with a single against Scott Downs. The lefty then struck out pinch-hitter Magglio Ordonez and induced a fly ball to center from Curtis Granderson. Closer Jason Frasor entered the game and gave up a flare single to right that trickled out of Hill's glove in shallow right field, sending Inge to third. But Frasor struck out Ryan Raburn, who had entered as a defensive replacement in left field for Carlos Guillen in the seventh inning, to record his 10th save of the year.
Gaston decided to start Downs in the ninth inning and then made the decision to bring in Frasor after the left-handed-hitting Granderson was retired. But Gaston made those moves primarily to help limit the number of pitches those two relievers would throw. Frasor, for example, has now recorded saves in four of the past five games.
"I wanted to spare [Frasor and Downs] the pitch count a bit tonight, because they've been used a lot lately," Gaston said.
Hill's home run not only gave Toronto the victory, but gives him the opportunity to be the first middle infielder in team history to lead his squad in home runs and RBIs. Hill already has more RBIs than any middle infielder in Blue Jays history.
Toronto overcame a shaky performance from starter Scott Richmond, who has traditionally been hurt by one big inning in his outings this season. On Saturday, it was a big blast that did Richmond in and gave the Tigers a lead that they would be unable to hold.
Miguel Cabrera smashed a 420-foot slider from Richmond on a full count in the fourth inning for a three-run homer. That chased Richmond, but the Blue Jays' offense bailed out its starter.
"Right now, my issue is with one thing -- fastball command," Richmond said. "My curveball is working well and I'm coming after guys a bit, but the biggest problem I have is with my fastball. I need to slow things down and go back to the basics. It's something I've been working on but I need to keep at it."
Wells and Scutaro hit solo home runs in the sixth and seventh innings to cut the Detroit lead to one. Wells was then able to score on Lyon's wild pitch when he tagged up from second base after Cabrera made a nice running catch of a Barajas popup in foul territory near the stands.
"That's just a situation where I'm always going to tag up, and if he makes a play, I put myself in position to score on a bloop hit or a fly ball," Wells said. "I think coming back tonight says a lot about our team. No matter what the situation is, we are out there to try and win ballgames."
Toronto manufactured a run in the fifth, when Joe Inglett singled and stole a base with one out. Scutaro then hit a single into shallow center field to tie the game at 3 before Cabrera's home run temporarily put Detroit ahead.
The performance of the bullpen was crucial to Saturday's win as Jesse Carlson and League combined to pitch 3 2/3 innings of no-hit ball in long relief before Downs and Frasor closed it out.
"Those guys were great tonight," Gaston said. "[League] has had some trouble in the past when he's had to pitch more than one inning, but tonight he was sharp."
Wells agreed, saying that the recent performance of the 'pen gives the offense confidence that they will hold a lead if enough runs are scored.
"League can strike out anyone when he's on," Wells said. "Downs throws strikes, and Frasor can strike out guys and pitches to contact, so [we] can make plays behind them. We have a lot of confidence in our bullpen right now, because those guys are doing a great job protecting leads."
Mike Scott is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
