Tigers rally to sweep Blue Jays 3-2 win in extra innings

FIRST INNING

Jays: The Jays have not had much luck against Justin Verlander, but then again who has. The Tigers’ righthander fired a no-hitter his last start against the Jays, May 7, 2011, at the Rogers Centre. He entered Thursday with a streak of 10-straight no-hit and shutout innings against the Jays, dating back to Aug. 27, 2010. The Jays reached base on a walk to Colby Rasmus, but the no-hit streak reached 11 innings.

Tigers: Lefty J.A. Happ was making his first career start against the Tigers. Happ had been the winner in each of his last two starts, against the Yankees and Rangers. Anthony Gose made a spectacular diving catch against Miguel Cabrera to end the inning. Jays 0, Tigers 0

SECOND INNING

Jays: Verlander continued his dominance of the Jays with a three-up, three down inning. However on Omar Vizquel’s high popup, Cabrera raced over and aggravated a sore right ankle. He was replaced by Ramon Santiago.

Tigers: Happ walked Jhonny Peralta with one out, then got a double-play ground ball from Delmon Young started niftily in the hole by rookie Adeiny Hechavarria, drawing his second straight start in the absence of new father Yunel Escobar. Jays 0, Tigers 0

THIRD INNING

Jays: Seemingly overmatched, He- chavarria and Gose both struck out, followed by a routine Davis fly ball to right. “I know for a fact he’ll come out of (the season) knowing more about himself as he is as a player today,” manager John Farrell said of Gose’s learning curve.

Tigers: With one out, left fielder Andy Dirks singled, ensuring there would be no repetition of the Fred Toney vs. Hippo Vaughan matchup from back on May 2, 1917, the only double nohitter for nine innings vs. the Reds and the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Toney won it 1-0 for the Reds in 10 innings. Jays 0, Tigers 0

FOURTH INNING

Jays: Two hitless streaks ended with one swing of the bat leading off. Colby Rasmus drove a ground ball through the right side of the infield for his first hit in 27 at-bats. It was the first hit for the Jays against Verlander after 13 no-hit frames. Edwin Encarnacion then drove a 1-2 pitch deep for his 33rd home run of the season.

Tigers: Omar Infante tried to start a Tigers comeback with a leadoff single to right. But the Tigers second baseman headed toward second on a hit and run as Santiago popped a ball into foul territory. Kelly Johnson alertly raced over to take the throw from Encarnacion as Infante scrambled to get back. Jays 2, Tigers 0

FIFTH INNING

Jays: The bottom of the order was no match for Verlander, with Jeff Mathis, Hechavarria and Gose. For the second time in the game, they were retired easily.

Tigers: Happ continued to cut a swath through the Tigers order. He allowed a one-out single to Young followed by a strikeout and a nice catch next to the home dugout by Mathis. Jays 2, Tigers 0

SIXTH INNING

Jays: Davis battled through an at-bat with a couple of loud line drives just foul down the third baseline. On a 2-2 pitch he was drilled on the hand by Verlander. Farrell came out just to make sure, but Davis stayed in and was caught stealing on a great throw by catcher Alex Avila.

Tigers: Happ tied his longest start with the Jays. He issued a one-out walk to Austin Jackson and then retired the final two batters. Jays 2, Tigers 0

SEVENTH INNING

Jays: Verlander struck out the side — Moises Sierra, Vizquel and Mathis —

giving him five straight Ks, running his game total to nine. At that point the Jays had just a pair of hits.

Tigers: If Happ is part of the audition to remain in the rotation when Brandon Morrow rejoins the team on Saturday, he put special emphasis on his bid, with just four hits allowed through seven. “I was just trying to keep us with the lead,” Happ said. Jays 2, Tigers 0

EIGHTH INNING

Jays: The Jays got a leadoff single from Hechavarria and a one-out hit by Davis, but Verlander fanned Rasmus and induced a ground ball from Encarnacion.

Tigers: Farrell allowed Happ to get one out before he walked Avila and was replaced by Brandon Lyon. “He pitched an outstanding ball game for us,” Farrell said. “Good fastball, lot of swing-and-miss to it.” Happ became the first Jays starter to work into the eighth inning since Brandon Morrow on June 6. Lyon gave up a single to Jackson and induced a fly ball for the second out. He was replaced by Darren Oliver to face Brennan Boesch. The left-handed hitting Boesch singled against Oliver driving home the Tigers’ first run. The 41-year-old veteran then unleashed a wild pitch, with Jackson scoring to tie the game. Jays 2, Tigers 2

NINTH INNING

Jays: Verlander trotted to the mound for the start of the ninth to a thunderous ovation from the 39,910 in attendance at the Comerica Park matinee. He finished his day in style, racking up his 12th strikeout.

Tigers: Brad Lincoln entered to start the ninth, retiring the first two batters. Aaron Loup came in to face the lefthanded hitting Dirks who flied out sending the game to extra innings. Jays 2, Tigers 2

TENTH INNING

Jays: That was it for Verlander, who threw 115 pitches in nine innings but was not credited with a complete game. He allowed four hits and struck out 12. Enter Octavio Dotel, the former Jays’ setup man. Mathis led off with a single and was sacrificed to second. Mike McCoy pinch ran. Then Jackson made the defensive play of the game diving for a ball to right centre that looked like a Gose RBI double.

Tigers: Loup stayed in the game, pitching himself in and out of trouble. Jackson chopped an infield hit to short, followed by an Infante single. Loup struck out Boesch and Prince

Fielder grounded out. Jays 2, Tigers 2

ELEVENTH INNING

Jays: Left-hander Phil Coke came in just to face the lefty swinger Rasmus. He fanned the centre-fielder and gave way to Joaquin Benoit who battled Encarnacion to a popup to shortstop.

Tigers: Chad Jenkins entered the game as the sixth Jays pitcher. The only one that had been with the team prior to July 1 was Oliver. Peralta led off with a single to left and when Young hit into a fielder’s choice, Quintin Berry pinch-ran and stole second. By this time Yorvit Torrealba was catching. Jeff Baker walked and with two outs, Avila singled to right to walk off for the Tigers. Tigers 3, Jays 2