Blue Jays hit 3 HRs in 5-3 win over Tigers
By IAN HARRISON, Associated Press
Aug 28, 2015 9:59 PM CDT
Toronto Blue Jays' Edwin Encarnacion hits an RBI-doubleagainst the Detroit Tigers during first-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Friday, Aug. 28, 2015. (Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT   (Associated Press)

TORONTO (AP) — A full house welcomed the surging Blue Jays home from an eight-game road trip, roaring with approval at another big win for the AL East leaders.

Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki hit back-to-back homers, Jose Bautista also connected and Toronto won for the eighth time in 10 games, beating the Detroit Tigers 5-3 on Friday night.

The crowd of 46,518, Toronto's fifth straight sellout, turned up the volume as rookie closer Roberto Osuna finished things off by striking out the side on nine straight pitches after falling behind 3-0 to leadoff batter J.D. Martinez.

"That place was rocking," Donaldson said. "That's the loudest I've heard it. It's exciting to be a part of this team right now."

It sure is. Toronto has won 22 of 28 overall and is 19-5 in August.

"It's special and you don't take it for granted because you don't get opportunities like this as a club very often," said R.A Dickey, who pitched 6 2/3 innings to win his sixth straight decision. "It's nice that everybody is enjoying it."

Ian Kinsler and Anthony Gose homered for the slumping Tigers, who have lost seven of eight.

"They're excited in Toronto," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "They should be."

At 60-68, the Tigers are a season-worst eight games below .500.

Dickey left after Gose's two-out homer in the seventh. Mark Lowe came on and struck out Davis.

"We didn't do much after that," Ausmus said.

Aaron Sanchez worked a perfect eighth and Osuna wrapped it up for his 16th save.

All three Blue Jays homers came off rookie Matt Boyd (1-5), one of the three left-handed pitchers acquired by Detroit in the July 30 trade that sent David Price to Toronto. Boyd also allowed three solo home runs in his major league debut, a 4-0 loss to Texas on June 27.

"I got beat on fastballs in today," Boyd said. "No one beat me on a fastball away. That's just me. I've got to get ahead in counts and I've got to command my fastball better."

Boyd allowed five runs and seven hits in six innings.

After Rajai Davis struck out on three pitches to begin the game, Kinsler homered on Dickey's fourth pitch. Toronto tied it in the bottom half on a two-out RBI double by Edwin Encarnacion, who extended his career-high hitting streak to 23 games.

Tulowitzki gave Toronto the lead with a homer that just cleared the left-field wall in the third. Donaldson followed with a no-doubt blast off the facing of the fifth deck, his 35th. It was the eighth time this season the Blue Jays hit consecutive homers.

"I knew I hit it well," Donaldson said. "I didn't know if it was necessarily going to stay fair or not."

Donaldson leads the majors with 102 RBIs.

Bautista made it 5-1 when he went deep in the fifth, his 31st.

ROSTER SHUFFLE

Following the game, the Blue Jays recalled RHP Drew Hutchison and optioned C Josh Thole to the minors. Thole was assigned to Bluefield of the Rookie League. Bluefield's season ends Sept. 1, meaning Thole can be recalled Sept. 2. Toronto also claimed 1B/OF Danny Dorn on waivers from Arizona. To make room on the 40-man roster, utilityman Ty Kelly was designated for assignment.

GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN

Price spent time catching up with his former Tigers teammates in the visitor's clubhouse before batting practice.

TWO SPORT STAR

Tampa Bay Lightning captain and three-time NHL All-Star Steven Stamkos took batting practice and fielded ground balls before the game.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Blue Jays: RHP Marcus Stroman (left knee) threw 51 pitches in a simulated game Friday and will start for Class-A Lansing next Wednesday. Manager John Gibbons said Stroman could made some spot starts for Toronto in September.

UP NEXT

Tigers: RHP Buck Farmer (0-2, 7.80 ERA) has allowed 24 earned runs in 27 1/3 innings on the road. He has yet to start at Comerica Field this season.

Blue Jays: Hutchison (12-2, 5.06 ERA) will return from the minor leagues for his first start since Aug. 16. Hutchison was optioned to Triple-A as Toronto used three off days on its recent road trip to switch to a four-man rotation. Hutchison is 10-1 with a 2.57 ERA in 13 home starts.

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