Tigers win fifth in a row with wild 6-5 win over Blue Jays

TORONTO — Zach McKinstry scored on Louis Varland’s fielding error in the ninth inning as the Detroit Tigers slipped past the Toronto Blue Jays 6-5 on Monday.

Infielder Hao-Yu Lee grounded to Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., with Varland running from the mound to cover the base. Varland missed Guerrero’s throw and as Toronto’s closer chased it down McKinstry raced home.

Brett Callahan’s single up the left-field line tied it 5-5 in the eighth to help Detroit (71-79) win its fifth straight. Max Clark had a two-run double in the seventh and Spencer Torkelson drove him in with another double. Dillon Dingler had an RBI single earlier in the inning.

Troy Melton gave up two runs on five hits and four walks, only lasting 2 2/3 innings and striking out three. Relievers Beau Brieske, Tyler Holton, Kyle Finnegan, Tyler Kinley (7-5) and Kenley Jansen followed him to the mound.

Kazuma Okamoto’s three-run homer in the seventh restored Toronto’s (75-76) lead it had given up in the top of the inning. Alejandro Kirk had an RBI single and George Springer scored on a wild pitch for an early 2-0 lead in the first.

Jose Soriano was superb for the first six innings of the game, but his no-hit bid went sour in the seventh when he gave up four runs with one out. He struck out five and allowed five hits over 6 1/3 innings.

Paul Sewald, Joe Mantiply and Varland (5-6) came out of the Blue Jays’ bullpen.

TAKEAWAYS

Tigers: Melton has been the backbone of Detroit’s starting rotation this season, especially after former ace Tarik Skubal was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 2. Melton entered the game with a team-best 2.42 earned-run average but was pulled in the third after loading the bases for a second consecutive inning. He threw only 76 pitches before getting the hook.

Blue Jays: Soriano carried a perfect game through 5 1/3 innings before giving up a walk to Zach McKinstry with one out in the sixth. He lost his no-hitter in the seventh when he gave up a single to Gleyber Torres to lead off the inning, earning a smattering of applause from the sold-out Rogers Centre crowd of 42,867.

KEY MOMENT

After Springer drew a walk to lead off the ninth inning, Guerrero struck out and Kirk grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.

KEY STAT

The Blue Jays remain a game back of Cleveland for the third and final wild-card berth in the American League as the Guardians fell to the Chicago White Sox 7-3.

UP NEXT

Toronto’s starting pitcher for Tuesday’s game against Detroit was yet to be announced but it is a scheduled bullpen game.

Drew Anderson (4-6) will take the mound for the Tigers.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2026.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press