Blue Jays overcome anemic offence to prevail in extra innings against Tigers

Toronto could muster only three hits through nine innings

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Published May 16, 2026  •  4 minute read

Blue Jays second baseman Lenyn Sosa tags out Zach McKinstry of the Tigers trying to steal second base during seventh inning MLB action at Comerica Park in Detroit, Saturday, May 16, 2026. Photo by Duane Burleson /Getty Images

How far has Vladimir Guerrero Jr. fallen and how low can he go?

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He had an oh-fer night in Friday’s series opener in the Motor City, perhaps spared the wrath of fans back in Toronto unable to watch the gruesome details because the broadcast was an AppleTV+ production and not aired on the club-friendly network that is bent on not expressing any dissenting opinion.

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Saturday, Vlad Jr. hit into an inning-ending double play in the first inning.

In his next plate appearance, he looked like a minor leaguer on a pop out that ran his hitless streak to 20 at-bats.

Vlad Jr. threw hit bat at a 1-0 slider in arguably the most atypical and most uncharacteristic at-bat one has seen from him.

The term nadir immediately came to mind.

His groundout in the seventh didn’t exactly inspire much confidence, either.

He was charged with a throwing error in the home half of the seventh.

In the ninth, Vlad Jr. finally made some solid contact, but it resulted in an inning-ending groundout.

For the month of May, Vlad Jr. has recorded six hits and driven in four runs in his 51 at-bats.

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Toronto could muster only three hits through nine innings Saturday when the Tigers had the winning run in scoring position in the home half of the ninth.

The Jays survived the scare as extra innings were required.

A Daulton Varsho single drove in Vlad Jr. in the 10th to give Toronto its first lead.

The game ended on a strikeout recorded by Louis Varland as the Jays overcame yet another putrid day of offence to record a 2-1 win.

The following are three takeaways on a day the Jays did not get their first baserunner in scoring position until the fifth inning, but they did draw even in the seventh on Yohendrick Pinango’s first-career home run on a ball that bounced off the top of the wall in right field.

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1. By George, is he scuffling

One supposes some grace should be given to George Springer, who, after all, continues to persevere through a fractured big toe in his left foot.

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As long as he’s in the lineup, there are no excuses for a veteran whose plate appearances have been, to put in bluntly, embarrassing.

He was in the AL MVP conversation last season, but that’s in the past.

The recent past and present have not been kind to Springer, the Jays’ leadoff hitter whose value gets diminished when he’s not getting on base.

When he grounded out in his third at-bat Saturday to end the sixth inning, Springer’s average dipped to .188.

One gets the distinct impression the Jays don’t have the stones to drop Springer down in the order desperately hoping he somehow regains last year’s remarkable renaissance campaign.

Sad times for Springer, who is in the final year of his six-year deal with the Jays.

He popped out in foul territory when he led off the ninth inning, his frustration evident for all to see.

2. Flu-ridden

There are times when Mason Fluharty’s stuff is pretty sick, a valuable left-handed option whom the Jays, during much normal times, summon out of the bullpen in leverage situations with a right-handed bat at the plate.

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These are not normal times for the Jays, who are trying to manage around a compromised starting rotation amid a gruelling stretch that sees the club play 17 games in 17 days.

The next time the Jays will unveil the opener is next Thursday in the series finale against the host New York Yankees.

Fluharty was the opener against the Tigers, beginning his day by recording two strikeouts to retire the side in order.

He yielded a leadoff single before he struck out Riley Greene, a right-handed hitter.

Fluharty’s day had ended, but his 18-pitch outing went as well as possible, five hitters faced, three strikeouts recorded.

The baserunner would get tagged out at second on an attempted steal to end the second inning with Spencer Miles pitching for the Jays.

The Jays’ biggest issue can be found at the plate.

Through four innings, one hit had been recorded, a Pinango nubber that couldn’t have travelled more than 20 feet.

He would get doubled up to end the first.

3. Miles-High Club

The Jays acquired Miles from the San Francisco Giants in the Rule 5 Draft.

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When he’s been called upon, the right-hander has routinely delivered.

With the Jays in need of someone, anyone for that matter, to provide innings, Miles is worth watching.

He replaced Fluharty and picked up where the lefty left off, so to speak.

When the Tigers loaded the bases in the third, Miles recorded the third out on a strikeout, requiring three pitches no less to retire pinch-hitter Gage Workman.

It was quite the appearance for Miles, who made quite an impression in providing the Jays with 5.2 innings, a season high, while throwing 56 pitches, also a season high for the pitcher.

Up Next

Sunday’s series finale (1:40 p.m. first pitch) features a pitching battle of veteran righties with Kevin Gausman scheduled to be on the mound for the Jays while the Tigers counter with Jack Flaherty, who is looking for his first win of the season. In his last start, Gausman went a season-low 4.2 innings and surrendered a season-high 10 hits against visiting Tampa.

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