MLB

• McGowan, Jays hold Tigers in check

  
  

  Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Alex Rios went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, and Dustin McGowan hurled seven solid innings as the Toronto Blue Jays nipped the Detroit Tigers, 3-2, at Rogers Centre.

  McGowan (1-1) allowed just two runs while scattering seven hits as the Blue Jays snapped a three-game losing skid. B.J. Ryan struck out the side in the ninth to earn his second save.

  Matt Stairs went 2-for-3 with a run scored for Toronto, while Aaron Hill doubled and scored.

  Ivan Rodriguez went 3-for-3 with a run knocked in and a run scored for the Tigers, while Carlos Guillen went 3-for-4, including a double. Jeremy Bonderman (1-2) took the loss, allowing three runs -- two earned -- on five hits while walking six in five innings.

  Toronto picked up an early lead when Rios blasted a two-out shot off Bonderman in the home first.

  A single from Stairs and three straight walks forced in a run in the bottom of the second, but with the bases loaded and no outs Bonderman got Joe Inglett to ground back to the mound for a double play, then retired David Eckstein to escape further damage.

  The Tigers pulled a run back in the third as Rodriguez led off with a single, moved to third on Ryan Raburn's double and scored on Jacque Jones' RBI grounder.

  Toronto was silent until the fifth, when Hill led off with a double to center. One out later, Miguel Cabrera couldn't handle a shot from Vernon Wells, and Hill came in to score on the error.

  Detroit rallied to within one in the seventh, as Cabrera singled to start the frame, moved to third when Guillen ripped a double to center, and scored when Rodriguez lofted a sacrifice fly to right. Raburn walked to put runners at the corners with two out, but McGowan retired Clete Thomas to preserve the lead.

  Scott Downs kept Detroit off the board in the eighth, and Ryan worked around a pair of singles in the ninth to notch the save. Game Notes

  The Blue Jays left eight men on base, while the Tigers stranded seven runners...Marco Scutaro added his fourth RBI of the year for Toronto...A.J. Burnett (1-1) gets the start for Toronto on Sunday against Detroit's Nate Robertson (0-1) in the third installment of the four-game set. The teams have split the first two contests..Attendance was 31,052.

  04/19 16:32:41 ET