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Justin Smoak isn’t a fan of extra innings http://www.detroitlionsteamonline.com/jahlani-tavai-jersey , so he was doubly happy about his game-winning homer against the slumping Detroit Tigers.

Smoak led off the bottom of the ninth with a home run and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Detroit 4-3 on Saturday, handing the Tigers their 11th straight loss.

”Honestly, nobody wants to play extra innings,” Smoak said. ”To be able to do it in the ninth and get it over with is always a good feeling.”

This is Detroit’s longest losing streak since an 11-game skid in August 2003, the year the Tigers lost 119 times. The Tigers last lost 12 straight in 1996.

Three of Detroit’s 11 defeats, including the past two, have been one-run losses. The Tigers are 13-13 in one-run decisions.

”There’s things we can do better but we’re not playing bad,” Tigers starter Matt Boyd said. ”It may seem dire, but it’s not. We’re close to where we want to be and we’re going to come out on the other end of this.”

Smoak connected against reliever Joe Jimenez (3-1) for his 11th homer of the season. It was the second walk-off drive of his career, with the other coming in 2016 against Texas.

Smoak, who hit a two-run homer in Friday’s 3-2 win, has gone deep in back-to-back games for the first time this season.

”I’m just trying to be aggressive and it’s been better as of late,” he said.

Seunghwan Oh (4-2) worked one inning for the win. Randal Grichuk also homered for the Blue Jays, who have won 10 of 11 at home.

John Hicks hit a solo homer in the Detroit second off Sam Gaviglio and Nick Castellanos made it 3-0 with a two-run shot in the third, his 12th.

Boyd held the Blue Jays hitless until Kevin Pillar’s leadoff double in the fifth. Pillar moved to third on a one-out single by Aledmys Diaz and scored on a groundout by Devon Travis before Grichuk hit his tying homer.

”He was leaving the ball up just a little too much where they could get the bat head to it,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said.

Boyd allowed three runs and four hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out seven.

”I made a few mistakes today and one of them went over the fence,” Boyd said.

Gaviglio gave up three runs and four hits in seven innings http://www.houstontexansteamonline.com/kahale-warring-jersey , matching his longest outing of the season.

Leonys Martin and Castellanos hit consecutive singles off Joe Biagini in the eighth but the Blue Jays right-hander retired the next three batters in order.

”We had runners in position a couple of times,” Gardenhire said. ”We just didn’t come up with the big one.”

Martin helped preserve the 3-3 tie in the bottom of the eighth by throwing out Travis at home plate. Travis was trying to score from second on Yangervis Solarte’s single to center, but couldn’t beat Martin’s one-hop throw. The assist was Martin’s ninth, tying him with Seattle’s Mitch Haniger for the AL lead.

With a heat alert in place for Toronto, the retractable roof at Rogers Centre was kept closed. The outdoor temperature was 88 degrees, with high humidity making it feel like 106.

CAGED TIGERS

Detroit has lost 12 of 14 in Toronto.

CRIME DOESN’T PAY

Blue Jays C Luke Maile threw out two runners attempting to steal, both at second base. Maile threw out Jeimer Candelario in the first and Grayson Greiner in the seventh.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: RHP Alex Wilson had to leave in the eighth because of a sore left calf. Wilson missed almost a month earlier this season because of a strain in his left foot. … RHP Drew VerHagen (nasal fracture) will join Triple A Toledo Saturday night to begin an injury rehabilitation assignment. VerHagen has been out since June 20.

Blue Jays: Toronto put RHP Ryan Tepera (elbow) on the 10-day disabled list and recalled RHP Jake Petricka from Triple-A Buffalo.

UP NEXT

Tigers RHP Jordan Zimmermann (2-0, 4.35) faces Blue Jays LHP J.A. Happ (10-3, 3.62) on Canada Day in Toronto. Zimmermann allowed seven runs in his previous start against Toronto on June 8, 2016. Happ has won six straight decisions and is unbeaten in eight outings.

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Wade LeBlanc is a journeyman. His 10-year career has featured stops with seven different organizations and even one in Japan, where he thought he was finished.

In the left-hander’s second stint with Seattle, it appears he’s finally found a home.

LeBlanc (4-0) allowed one run over seven innings after inking a contract extension with the Mariners earlier in the day, and Seattle beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-1 on Tuesday night for its eighth straight victory.

The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani was activated from the 10-day disabled list and went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in his return. He had been sidelined since June 8 with a Grade 2 ulnar collateral ligament sprain.

“I think it was huge that I got all those at-bats in the simulated games,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. ”It’s a different game up here in the big leagues. Maybe still not quite there yet, but just keep on working hard, come back tomorrow.”

The Mariners announced they signed LeBlanc (4-0) to the extension before his start and the soft-tossing left-hander showed them they made a good decision. LeBlanc allowed three hits, struck out four and retired his final 11 batters.

”It’s huge http://www.indianapoliscoltsteamonline.com/bobby-okereke-jersey ,” LeBlanc said. ”It’s life-changing money, obviously, but for me, I’ve never been the kind of guy to know where my family and I are going to be the next year this early.”

LeBlanc’s contract reportedly extends him through the 2019 season, with a base salary of $2.75 million and incentives that could raise that to $4.75 next season, and contains club options valued at $5 million with a $450,000 buyout the three following seasons.

It rewards LeBlanc after he’s provided an unexpected source of stability to the Mariners’ rotation. Seattle is 9-3 in games he’s started and he boasts a 2.90 ERA since moving to the rotation on May 3.

”It’s good to feel wanted,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. ”I know Wade’s been everywhere in his career, but we’re definitely seeing the best of Wade LeBlanc right now. I’m looking forward to having him in the future. He’s done an unbelievable job for us.

”The best part about these deals with a guy like that that’s bounced around, is that he’s earned it. And that’s really what makes you feel good and allows you to sleep at night.”

LeBlanc was signed by the Mariners in spring training after he requested his release from the Yankees, who signed him to a minor league contract.

Alex Colome picked LeBlanc up by stranding Kole Calhoun after his one-out double in the eighth and Edwin Diaz earned his American League-leading 33rd save with a clean ninth inning.

Kyle Seager was 2 for 4 and drove in a pair of runs with a bases-loaded double in the first. Nelson Cruz provided insurance with a solo homer in the eighth.

Andrew Heaney (4-6) tied a career high with 10 strikeouts, but was tagged with three runs in the first inning to fall behind and was handed the loss.

“Andrew was terrific tonight,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ”The walks were probably the one negative for him in the first inning.

”He pitched a great game, gave us a chance to win. We just couldn’t get any kind of pressure offensively.”

Andrelton Simmons’ homer in the fourth was all the Angels could muster offensively.

300 CLUB

Mariners second baseman Dee Gordon stole third base in the eighth inning to put him at 300 career stolen bases.

TRAINER’S ROOM

ANGELS: Angels outfielder Chris Young exited in the first inning with a left hamstring strain, the club announced. Young stumbled to the ground while fielding Seager’s double to right field and fell to the ground in noticeable pain, staying there until leaving the game with trainers.

MARINERS: Servais said Erasmo Ramirez’s bullpen on Sunday went well and the right-hander will move on with his throwing program.

UP NEXT

ANGELS: RHP Garrett Richards (4-4) will be activated from the 10-day disabled list and start against the Mariners on Wednesday. He’s been out since June 14 with a left hamstring sprain.

MARINERS: RHP Mike Leake (8-4) will make his 18th start of the season and third against the Angels on Wednesday. The 30-year-old has lasted seven-plus innings seven times this season and boasted a 2.57 ERA in June.