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Instant Reaction: Late error costs Blue Jays in series opener against Tigers
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Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Michael Coyle
Sep 14, 2026, 22:32 EDTUpdated: Sep 14, 2026, 22:55 EDT
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This is a game the Toronto Blue Jays will want back. 
The 6-5 loss against the Detroit Tigers drops the Blue Jays’ record to 75-76 through 151 games and leaves them 1.0 game back of the Cleveland Guardians for the American League’s final Wild Card spot. 
Tied heading into the top of the ninth inning, the Tigers mounted a rally of their own. After a leadoff walk to Spencer Torkelson, Zack McKinstry attempted a sacrifice bunt that resulted in Torkelson getting forced out at second base. 
McKinstry followed with a stolen base and ended up coming all the way around to score on Hao-Yu Lee’s ground ball that was fielded by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Guerrero’s throw was dropped by Louis Varland and rolled away just enough for McKinstry to scamper home and make it 6-5. 
The Blue Jays struck first on Monday, getting to Tigers starter Troy Melton in the bottom of the first inning. Brett Bateman opened with a single before George Springer worked a six-pitch walk to set up runners on first and second with no one out. 
With one out, catcher Alejandro Kirk lined a 1-2 single from Melton into left field to bring home Bateman and give the Blue Jays a 1-0 lead. With runners on first and third, Melton uncorked a wild pitch to allow Springer to dash home to extend the lead to 2-0. 
The Blue Jays and José Soriano felt like they were on the way to achieving something special through six innings before it all came crashing down in the top of the seventh. 
Soriano had held the Tigers hitless through six innings with the lone baserunner coming by way of a McKinstry walk before the Tigers strung together five hits in the first six batters to open the top of the seventh. Max Clark drove in two runs with a double and Torkelson cashed in Clark immediately with a double of his own to turn the game upside down. 
The end result was Soriano walking off the mound to an ovation from the Toronto faithful with the Blue Jays trailing 4-2. Soriano finished his evening with a pitching line of 6.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K and threw 90 pitches. 
Through his first eight starts with the Blue Jays since being acquired from the Los Angeles Angels, Soriano is 3-1 with a 4.27 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. The right-hander has struck out 32 batters across 46.1 innings pitched and been hit at a .260 clip. 
Trailing 4-2 with two out and two runners on, Kazuma Okamoto launched his biggest home run to date in a Blue Jays uniform. Okamoto slugged an 0-2 fastball from Tigers reliever Kyle Finnegan 390 feet into the left field seats to give the Blue Jays a 5-4 lead.
Okamoto is now up to 33 home runs during his rookie campaign, the most in a single season by a Japanese-born right-handed hitter and has driven in 88 runs, building on his already set franchise rookie RBI record. 
The Tigers immediately answered back with a run of their own in the top of the eighth. After Kevin McGonigle and Riley Greene both roped singles off Joe Mantiply, manager John Schneider turned to Varland with one out in the eighth. 
Varland retired Dillon Dingler on a strikeout with runners on first and third but with two outs, Brett Callahan dumped a single down the left field line to bring home McGonigle to knot the game up at 5-5. 
George Springer worked a leadoff walk in the bottom of the ninth but Kenley Jansen was able to shut the door for his 20th save of the season. 
The Blue Jays will look to bounce back on Tuesday when they use Braydon Fisher as an opener. Drew Anderson starts for the Tigers. 
First pitch is 7:07 p.m. ET at Rogers Centre. 
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