Tune in at 1:07 PM ET as the Tigers take on the Blue Jays. Ian Hunter will be liveblogging for your enjoyment.
Good afternoon, all! Welcome to today's liveblog of the series finale between the Detroit Tigers and the Toronto Blue Jays. Here are your starting lineups for today:
Detroit Tigers (53-48)
Jackson CF
Infante 2B
Cabrera 3B
Fielder 1B
Young DH
Raburn LF
Peralta SS
Boesch RF
Laird C
SP: Doug Fister (4-7, 4.73 ERA)
Toronto Blue Jays (51-49)
Davis DH
Rasmus CF
Lawrie 3B
Encarnacion 1B
Snider LF
Escobar SS
Johnson 2B
Mathis C
Gose RF
SP: Brett Cecil (2-3, 5.82 ERA)
This afternoon the Blue Jays have the brooms out as they look to sweep the Detroit Tigers out of town and go for their fourth straight victory.
At the beginning of play on Thursday night, the Detroit Tigers were tied with the Chicago White Sox for the AL Central lead. But going into this afternoon's series finale, they have lost three straight and now sit 2.5 games back of the White Sox.
Toronto on the other hand has gained some ground in the AL East, and while they're a good 9 games back of the Yankees for the division lead, the Blue Jays sit 3.5 games out of the Wild Card.
Doug Fister gets the ball this afternoon for the Tigers, and if they are going to make a push for the playoffs, the Tigers will need Fister to stay healthy down the stretch. He's been on the DL twice this season, but in the month of July Fister owns a 3-2 record with a 4.22 ERA.
Brett Cecil gets the ball for the Blue Jays today, and he's making his 8th start of the 2012 campaign. Cecil has looked okay in his last 2 starts, giving up 3 and 2 earned runs in those appearances respectively.
The Blue Jays received some good news today regarding their star slugger Jose Bautista. It looks as thought he could come off the disabled list as early as Wednesday.
Even with Joey Bats out, the Blue Jays have fared pretty well and have had no trouble scoring runs without him
And the Blue Jays take the field as Brett Cecil takes his warmup tosses on the mound. Austin Jackson will step in to the box to lead off for the Tigers.
Austin Jackson loops one to the outfield, and right fielder Anthony Gose is there to make the catch. First out of the game.
Omar Infante swings and misses on the curveball from Brett Cecil, he strikes out swinging.
Miguel Cabrera works the full count to Brett Cecil. Now payoff pitch coming.
Cecil misses with the changeup and walks the ever dangerous Miguel Cabrera for the two out walk. Makes way for Prince Fielder.
The Blue Jays have the shift on, and with Brett Lawrie in right field makes the catch - however, collides with Rasmus, but Lawrie hangs on to make the catch.
Despite the two out walk to Cabrera, it doesn't come back to bite Brett Cecil.
Rajai Davis goes right after the very first pitch he sees, and his aggressiveness pays off. He hits a leadoff single.
Colby Rasmus picked up his 17th home run of the season in yesterday's game, it was a laser beam to right field.
Rajai Davis hustles all the way to third base, as he steals second base and the throw from Laird sails into centre field.
Davis gets a couple bags there, as the count goes to 3-2 on Colby Rasmus, Rajai Davis at third base.
And with some help from Gerland Laird, the Blue Jays score the first run of the game. Rasmus hits one to the third base side, and the Tigers don't make a play at home. Davis scores.
Brett Lawrie goes after the second pitch from Doug Fister, bounces one to Infante at second and is thrown out. Two down for cleanup man Edwin Encarnacion.
Edwin Encarnacion is retired as well, so Doug Fister gets the 1-2-3, but not before letting Davis get on base. That came back to bite him, as Davis scores and Toronto leads 1-0.
Due up for the Tigers here in the 2nd: it's young, Raburn and Peralta.
Delmon Young draws the leadoff walk here in the second inning, that's now the second walk surrendered by Cecil already this afternoon.
Ryan Raburn hits one deep to left field, bounces off the wall and Snider has to play it on a hop. That moves Delmon Young up to third base, Tigers threatening with runners on the corners and nobody out.
Sorry, make that runners on second and third and nobody out. Two runners in scoring position for Jhonny Peralta.
@jon jay The game's on Sportsnet One in Canada, but my feed isn't even working. I'm listening from the radio feed.
Peralta battling here with two strikes, he fouls off the curveball to stay alive. Still a 0-2 count on him.
On the 3-2 pitch, Jhonny Peralta smacks one to left field and it clears the fence. Three run home run for Peralta, that's his 7th on the season.
The Tigers strike back in the second, as they string together a walk, double and a home run to take the lead.
Cecil follows up the home run by striking out the number eight hitter Brennan Boesch. Second strikeout of the game for Cecil, first out of the inning.
@Al That's exactly what I was thinking, Al. To be honest, I'm really not sure why Cecil is still in the rotation.
Gerald Laird goes down swinging as well, as Brett Cecil strikes out back to back Tigers. Two down, as it's back to the top of the lineup. Austin Jackson making his second plate appearance.
@Edweazy I'm afraid Brett Cecil probably wouldn't get much in return at this point. Better to send him back down to the minors, I think.
And Austin Jackson draws the two-out walk off Brett Cecil. Pitching coach Bruce Walton already out to the mound to talk to Cecil. That's three walks through 1.2 innings for Brett already.
Omar Infante lines one to Colby Rasmus, and Colby makes the catch to end the Tigers 2nd.
