DUNEDIN 鈥� The Toronto Blue Jays used an eight-run fourth inning to earn a 10-7 win over the Detroit Tigers on Friday in spring training action.
It was a split-squad game for the Blue Jays (4-2), who later lost 6-3 in Tampa to the New York Yankees.
Against the Tigers, starter Chris Bassitt struck out four while surrendering one hit in 2 2/3 innings for the Blue Jays, who bounced back from consecutive losses to Baltimore and Philadelphia.
Reese Olson got the start for Detroit (2-4) on the mound, and he gave up two hits and two runs while striking out two in two innings of work.
Daulton Varsho and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit solo home runs in the first inning to give the Jays a 2-0 lead.
Detroit tied it in the fourth with a two-run homer from Kerry Carpenter. Toronto responded with a barrage of runs in the bottom half.
Alejandro Kirk鈥檚 sacrifice fly scored Guerrero, Ernie Clement鈥檚 single brought in George Springer, and Nathan Lukes doubled to right to plate Andres Gimenez, making it 5-2.
Myles Straw then hit a single that brought Clement home. Varsho picked up his second RBI on a groundout, scoring Lukes, with that being followed by Guerrero driving home Straw on a single.
George Springer's line drive double to left field then scored Steward Berroa and Guerrero.
The Tigers narrowed the gap in the fifth, with Justin-Henry Malloy鈥檚 single scoring two, followed by a two-run double from Dillon Dingler.
Detroit added one more in the eighth when Patrick Lee brought home Justice Bigbie on a triple.
In Tampa, Austin Wells, Cody Bellringer and Alex Jackson hit solo home runs for the Yankees, who outhit the Jays 11-6.
The Jays scored twice in the first inning, made it 5-1 in the fifth and then exploded for three runs in the sixth. The Jays scored a single run in the third inning on a Will Wagner R-B-I double, and two in the eighth off an R-B-I single from Matt Whatley and a R-B- from Devonte Brown. The Jays stranded eight baserunners.
Jake Bloss pitched two innings for the Jays, giving up three hits, two homers, and he struck out one. Ryan Jennings pitched two innings of one-hit ball and two strikeouts. Gerrit Cole pitched 3 1/3 innings for the Yankees and allowed three hits and a run. He struck out five batters.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 28, 2025.
The Canadian Press
