LAKELAND, Fla. – J.P. Arencibia hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning to lift the Toronto Blue Jays to a 9-7 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday in an exhibition game showcasing the young talent of both teams.
Arencibia, Toronto’s first-round draft choice in 2007, homered off Zach Miner after a single by Adam Loewen of Surrey, B.C. “He just missed his first one, too,” said Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston, referring to Arencibia’s sacrifice fly in the seventh inning.
Rookie left-hander Zach Jackson, another former first-round pick of the Blue Jays, got the win after striking out four in two innings of relief.
The Tigers got two perfect innings from starting pitcher Rick Porcello, their first-round pick in 2007 and a 14-game winner last season, and two shutout innings from veteran left-hander Dontrelle Willis.
Toronto starter Marc Rzepczynski also pitched two shutout innings, giving up a walk and a single to Carlos Guillen.
The Blue Jays scored three runs off newly acquired Tigers starter Max Scherzer, and four runs off Armando Galarraga, one of four pitchers competing for two spots in the rotation.
Toronto batted around against Galarraga in the seventh inning, collecting four hits and two walks.
“My slider was not in the strike zone, but I had good velocity,” Galarraga said. “I feel good. I’m healthy and that is most important. I’ll put things together.”
Six of Toronto’s 15 hits came off Scherzer, the right-hander who came from Arizona in a three-team December trade.
Rookie Brent Dlugach homered for the second straight day for Detroit, hitting an opposite-field shot off Jackson in the seventh inning. But Tigers manager Jim Leyland was equally impressed by a defensive play Dlugach made at second base to save a run in the eighth.
“He made it look easy,” Leyland said. “It was a great play.”
Tigers rookie Austin Jackson, their regular centre-fielder, reached base in all three plate appearances and drove in a run.
Kyle Drabek, the former first-round pick of the Philadelphia Phillies, gave up two runs in two innings in his first appearance since coming to Toronto in the Roy Halladay trade.
It was Gaston’s first look at the 22-year-old Drabek, who is the son of former major league pitcher Doug Drabek. But not so for Leyland, who managed Drabek’s father many years ago in Pittsburgh.
“The kid’s got a good arm, good rotation on his breaking ball,” noted Leyland. “I haven’t seen him since he was that big (holding out his arm).”
NOTES: The Blue Jays claimed right-hander Casey Fien off waivers from the Boston Red Sox and placed right-hander Scott Richmond on the 60-day disabled list with a right shoulder impingement. Fien was claimed by the Red Sox on Monday after the Tigers waived him. … Jacob Turner and Andy Oliver, the Tigers’ first two draft picks last spring, will pitch two innings each in a B game Friday morning against the Astros at Tigertown. … The Blue Jays also will play a B game Friday against the Phillies in Clearwater.
