Blue Jays earn critical 5-1 win over Tigers to keep pace in AL wild-card chase

Max Scherzer (3-8) pitched five innings of one-run ball, allowing three hits and three walks but striking out three.

Mason Fluharty, Spencer Miles and Louis Varland combined for four scoreless innings to preserve the win.

Riley Greene’s RBI single in the first helped Detroit (72-80) jump out to an early lead.

Keider Montero (9-9) allowed two runs on six hits and two walks, striking out four over four innings. Tyler Holton, Drew Sommers, and Tyler Kinley came out of the visitors’ bullpen at Rogers Centre.

Takeaways

Tigers: Detroit had been the hottest team in the American League entering the matinee with five consecutive wins. The Tigers didn’t look so sharp on Wednesday, however, giving up three errors in the fifth inning while allowing Toronto to add two runs to its lead.

Blue Jays: Scherzer had his best start in three outings, keeping Toronto in the game long enough for Clement and Straw to drive in some runs. Scherzer had given up six runs over five innings on Sept. 11 in a 7-4 loss to the Baltimore Orioles and three runs over 5 2/3 innings in a 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sept. 5.

Key moment

With one out and runners on first and second in the ninth, Tigers shortstop John Peck hit a Varland pitch sharply for what seemed like at least a single. Toronto second baseman Josh Smith snagged the line drive out of the air to hold the runners.

Key stat

The Blue Jays have nine games left in the regular season and there are four teams left chasing the White Sox for the final wild-card berth.

Up next

Toronto has Thursday off before opening a critical three-game series in Texas. Dylan Cease is expected to get the start for the Blue Jays on Friday.

Detroit visits the Chicago White Sox on Thursday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2026.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Blue Jays earn critical 5-1 win over Tigers to keep pace in AL wild-card chase

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