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The Toronto Blue Jays continued their blistering run of form on Thursday night, routing the American League Central-leading Detroit Tigers 11-4 at Comerica Park. Behind a dominant start from left-hander Eric Lauer, which earned praise from Blue Jays manager John Schneider, Toronto improved to an American League-best 61-42, extending its division lead to 4.5 games over the idle Yankees.
Lauer was nothing short of exceptional, delivering a season-high eight innings while allowing just one earned run on five hits with no walks and six strikeouts. The lone dent in an otherwise strong outing was a solo home run to Tigers DH Jahmai Jones in the first inning. It was Lauer’s third quality start in his last four appearances.
After the game, Schneider gave the resurgent starter his flowers.
“If I was living in a world that did not include Eric Lauer, I'd have a lot more grey in my beard, for sure. He's been phenomenal,” Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reported.
The 30-year-old now owns a 6-2 record with a 2.61 ERA and 0.93 WHIP across 69 innings in 10 starts and 16 total appearances. His efficiency was a standout, needing just 11 pitches in the second inning, eight in the third, and four to get through the fifth. Over the sixth and seventh innings combined, he threw only 21 pitches.
Toronto’s offense erupted in the sixth inning. Down 1-0, the Blue Jays pounced on Tigers starter Reese Olson. After Olson walked George Springer and gave up a game-tying RBI double to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Detroit opted to intentionally walk Addison Barger to face Clement, a strategic decision influenced by Clement's .543 OPS against right-handers.
Two pitches later, Olson hung a slider. Clement crushed it into the left field stands for a three-run homer. Joey Loperfido followed up with a solo shot, capping a five-run inning that shifted the game decisively.
The onslaught continued in the seventh and eighth, as Nathan Lukes and George Springer added power with a two-run homer and 113-mph double. The Blue Jays recorded 12 batted balls at 100+ mph, exemplifying their newly unlocked power surge, which is crucial for postseason success, as home runs account for nearly half of all runs scored.
Detroit, meanwhile, is unraveling. The Tigers (60-44) have dropped 10 of their last 11 games, allowing 11 runs in three innings on Thursday and resorting to using catcher Jake Rogers to pitch the ninth.
While Toronto still eyes rotation depth at the trade deadline, Lauer has made himself at home. Once considered mere Triple-A depth after a stint in Korea, he now plays an important role in a playoff-bound staff, helping fill gaps left by Max Scherzer and Bowden Francis.
