Boyd allows three HRs, Tigers lose 5-3 to Jays
TORONTO (AP) — To Tigers rookie Matt Boyd, Toronto's Rogers Centre will always be "special."
Unfortunately for Boyd, his results there have been anything but.
Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki hit back-to-back homers, Jose Bautista also connected off Boyd and the Blue Jays won for the eighth time in 10 games, beating Detroit 5-3 on Friday night.
Boyd (1-5), is one of the three left-handed pitchers acquired by Detroit in the July 30 trade that sent David Price to Toronto. He also allowed three solo home runs in his major league debut, a 4-0 loss to Texas on June 27.
Still, that performance was better than his other start north of the border, a July 2 loss to Red Sox in which he gave up seven runs without recording an out.
His outings here may be forgettable, but Boyd won't soon forget Toronto.
"This place is going to be special for me because I made my debut here but I've got a new family now," said Boyd, who allowed five runs and seven hits in six innings.
Tigers manager Brad Ausmus praised Boyd for his poise in the face of Toronto's home run barrage.
"I like what we've seen from Boyd since we've gotten him," Ausmus said. "I think he's got a chance to be a good major league pitcher."
Even Donaldson, who crushed a fastball off the facing of the fifth deck, was impressed with his former teammate.
"You definitely see the potential that he has," Donaldson said. "He's got a good heater, it's got some life to it."
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.
Ian Kinsler and Anthony Gose homered for the slumping Tigers, who have lost seven of eight.
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, delighting a sellout crowd of 46,518 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."
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, his 35th. It was the eighth time this season the Blue Jays have hit consecutive homers.
Donaldson leads the majors with 102 RBIs.
Bautista made it 5-1 when he went deep in the fifth, his 31st.
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.
REMEMBER ME?
Of Gose's four home runs this season, two have come against the Blue Jays, his former team.
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: RHP Drew 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.