Tigers Squander Lead, Fall In 19 Innings To Blue Jays
BY IAN HARRISON/Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) - Jose Bautista's single in the 19th inning drove home the winning run as the Toronto Blue Jays rallied from a 5-0 deficit to win the longest game in franchise history, beating the Detroit Tigers 6-5 on Sunday.
Munenori Kawasaki singled off Rick Porcello (13-7) to begin the 19th and advanced to third when second baseman Ian Kinsler couldn't field an errant throw from Porcello on Jose Reyes' sacrifice bunt. Melky Cabrera was intentionally walked to load the bases for Bautista, who ended it with a single to right over the drawn-in outfield, sending his teammates streaming out of the dugout in celebration.
Porcello, who threw 110 pitches over seven innings against the Yankees on Thursday, worked two innings out of the bullpen as the Tigers used eight pitchers.
Led by a six-inning stint from Chad Jenkins (1-1), Toronto's bullpen threw 15 2-3 innings of scoreless relief. The Blue Jays also used eight pitchers.
It was the second 19-inning game in as many days. The Los Angeles Angels beat the Boston Red Sox 5-4 on Saturday night.
Toronto had twice played 18 innings, doing it against the Angels on July 28, 2005, and Texas on June 8, 2013.
At 6:37, it was the longest game by time in Blue Jays history, easily surpassing a 5:57 game against the Yankees on April 19, 2001.
The lights at Rogers Centre were turned on in the 13th inning, fans rose for a 14th-inning stretch and the grounds crew came back out to clean the field for a second time as the marathon game dragged on.
The Blue Jays used 22 of the 25 players on their roster, with only starting pitchers R.A. Dickey, J.A. Happ and Drew Hutchison staying on the bench. The Tigers, who didn't call up replacements for injured pitchers Anibal Sanchez and Joakim Soria, used everyone except pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Blue Jays: First baseman Edwin Encarnacion (right quadriceps) started at DH and went 1 for 3 with an infield single in his first rehab game at Class-A Dunedin on Saturday night.
Tigers: Right-handers Sanchez (right pectoral strain) and Soria (left oblique) were placed on the 15-day disabled list before the game. Sanchez is expected to miss three to four weeks. Left-hander Robbie Ray will be promoted from Triple-A Toledo to start in Sanchez's place Wednesday against Pittsburgh.
ON DECK:
Blue Jays: Toronto begins a three-game series at Seattle on Monday, with right-hander Drew Hutchison (8-9) facing Mariners righty Felix Hernandez (12-3). Hernandez is the third straight former Cy Young winner to pitch against Toronto, following Detroit's Scherzer and David Price.
Tigers: Detroit begins a two-game series at Pittsburgh on Monday, with Verlander (10-10) facing Pirates left-hander Jeff Locke (3-3). Verlander is 4-0 with a 1.97 ERA in four career starts against Pittsburgh.
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