Blue Jays top Tigers 5-4 in pre-season action | Globalnews.ca

LAKELAND, Fla. – Kevin Kiermaier and Daniel Vogelbach each homered as the Toronto Blue Jays took command early and held on for a 5-4 win over the Detroit Tigers in pre-season action on Thursday.

Vogelbach’s home run in the fifth inning gave the Blue Jays a 5-1 lead.

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Parker Meadows hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth to bring the Tigers to within two before Jace Jung belted another homer in the ninth to further trim the deficit.

Bowden Francis threw five strikeouts, surrendered three hits and one run in three and 2/3 innings as the starter for Toronto (4-8). Hagen Danner got the save pitching the ninth inning.

Kenta Maeda gave up four hits and two runs, while only striking out one batter in four innings of work as the starter for Detroit (6-6).

The Blue Jays next face the New York Yankees on Friday in Dunedin, Fla.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 7, 2024.