Division leaders clash as Blue Jays, Tigers begin series
The Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers each have 60 victories, but the two division leaders have been heading in opposite directions.
The Blue Jays have won five of their six games since the All-Star break, opening up a four-game lead over the second-place New York Yankees in the American League East.
Detroit has seen its lead in the AL Central shrink to eight games over the Cleveland Guardians after dropping nine of its past 10 games. Now the Tigers will host the Blue Jays for four games beginning on Thursday night.
Detroit was swept in a three-game series this week by the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates, the last-place team in the National League Central.
'It's a good testament to just getting up and moving on,' Tigers outfielder Matt Vierling said, according to the Detroit News. 'It's a new day and the biggest thing, it's a new series. Regardless of what's happened these past couple, we have to move on. We know they've been playing good baseball, but it's a new series and that's awesome for us. We get a new start.'
Reese Olson (4-3, 2.71 ERA) will start the series opener for the Tigers. He tossed five-plus scoreless innings in Texas on Friday, allowing two hits and a walk but still needing 90 pitches to get 15 outs.
Olson has made three starts since a finger injury on his throwing hand forced him to the injured list in mid-May. He has given up just three runs in 14 1/3 innings (1.88 ERA) during that span.
'I felt a little more normal than I had my last two starts back,' he said after the outing against the Rangers. 'Still too many three-ball counts, but I felt more normal, for sure.'
Olson stymied the Blue Jays in his last start before going on the IL, holding them to one hit and a walk in six scoreless innings on May 17. He is 1-0 with a 0.55 ERA in four career appearances (three starts) against Toronto.
He will be opposed by Eric Lauer (5-2, 2.80 ERA), who is coming off one of his best outings of the season. Lauer held the San Francisco Giants to two runs on two hits in six innings with seven strikeouts and no walks on Saturday. That equaled his longest start this year.
'What he's been able to do, to come in and just give us a chance to win every game, it's invaluable,' infielder Ernie Clement said. 'Tip of the cap to him. He's probably been our unsung MVP so far.'
Lauer, who pitched in South Korea last year, has given the starting staff an unexpected boost.
'I'm just trying to make sure that I stick in the rotation, honestly,' Lauer said. 'That's what I want to do, and that's where I think I can help the team best.'
Lauer is 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA in three career starts against Detroit. He took a no-decision against Olson and the Tigers on May 17 after yielding one run in three innings.
Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. appears to be heating up entering the series, having reached base 11 times over the past four games. He knocked in two runs and scored twice in an 8-4 win over the Yankees on Wednesday.
In contrast, Tigers All-Star outfielder Riley Greene is 3-for-21 with 10 strikeouts since the All-Star break. Manager A.J. Hinch rested him Wednesday as Detroit lost 6-1 to the Pirates.
'Everybody needs a blow every now and then. He looks like he's had a long week,' Hinch said.
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