The Detroit Tigers handed the Toronto Blue Jays a 6-1 loss at TD Ballpark on Saturday in spring training play. Despite Daulton Varsho's 1-for-2 with a home run and an RBI effort at the plate, the Jays could not overcome a sizable deficit. On the mound, Max Scherzer turned in a solid outing, working 4.2 innings of scoreless ball with five strikeouts. The Tigers out-hit the Jays 11-5 on the day. The loss is a minor bump as the Jays continue fine-tuning ahead of Opening Day. The exhibition season is about preparation, and today provided the kind of reps the coaching staff needs to see.
Key Performers
Daulton Varsho was the offensive highlight at the plate, going 1-for-2 with a home run and an RBI. His power was on full display throughout the game. The Jays will be hoping for more of the same as the spring continues.
Riley Tirotta also contributed, going 2-for-2 with a double, Arjun Nimmala chipped in, going 1-for-1, and Myles Straw added to the attack, going 1-for-2. The Jays showed flashes of offense but could not piece together the big inning they needed.
On the other side of the diamond, Matt Vierling led the Tigers offense with a 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI day. Max Anderson also contributed, going 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI. Wenceel Pérez added a 1-for-4 with an RBI effort as well. The Tigers offense proved to be too much for the Jays pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Max Scherzer got the start, turning in a quality outing, working 4.2 innings while allowing 0 earned runs on 2 hits with five strikeouts. He threw 65 pitches in the outing. The coaching staff will review his performance as they continue mapping out the pitching plan for the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 3.4 innings of work, allowing 6 earned runs while striking out four. The Jays continue to sort through their relief options as they build their Opening Day bullpen. Every inning pitched in the spring is an opportunity for pitchers to make their case for a spot on the roster when the games start counting.
Among the relievers, Josh Fleming stood out with 1.2 innings of 1-run work, striking out two. It was an impressive showing that could factor into roster decisions.
How It Happened
Tigers got on the board first with two runs in the fifth inning. The Jays struck back with a run in the fifth. Tigers answered with a run in the seventh. Tigers tacked on two runs in the eighth. Tigers pushed across a run in the ninth. The Tigers were able to score in four separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Tigers out-hit the Jays 11-5, with 1 error committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 6,579 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
Despite the result, the Jays will take the lessons learned from this game and move forward. Spring training is about preparation and evaluation, not wins and losses, and the coaching staff gained valuable information about the roster today. There is still time to make adjustments before the regular season begins, and games like this one are part of that process.
