It was a strange game.

Rajai Davis led off in his return to Toronto with a double, but Detroit stranded him at third. That type of frustration stayed in our bats until the 9th inning.

The Blue Jays scored themselves in the 1st thanks to some snarf plays with two outs. We led off the second inning with an error-double for our opponent, who put on a bunting clinic. Let’s learn, Tigers, and get back to our early season small ball ways.

Trailing 4-0, Ian Kinsler answered the next inning with a two-run single, scoring Eugenio Suarez and Davis. That’s where the game sat for the next five and a half innings.

Anibal Sanchez was forced to leave the game due to a pectoral injury with two outs in the fifth. The Tigers bullpen really stepped it up, starting with Blaine Hardy, who finished that inning and the next without error.

Hardy was picked up by Al-Al after recording one out in the seventh. “Vintage” Al balked before making his way through the inning with men on second and third. He was smoother in the eighth, setting us up for one last hurrah.

J.D. Martinez drove the first pitch he saw in the top of the 9th for a double. Next, Alex Avila moved him over to third, putting us in position for the ideal sacrifice fly swing: a home run attempt. That’s what Nick Castellanos did, soaring one into left-center field, tying the game at four. The stunning turn of events wasn’t finished, for Suarez stepped up and smacked one past center field for our first lead of the game.

Warm up, Joe. Nathan entered the bottom of the ninth, loaded them up, and then earned another save. Vintage Al, vintage Joe. The final out came on a foul ball that Davis tracked down and caught while sliding, a fitting ending in his return.