Bautista hits 42nd HR, Hill singles home winner in 11th as Blue Jays top Tigers 3-2

Bautista, Hill help Blue Jays top Tigers 3-2 in 11

TORONTO — Jose Bautista hit his major league-leading 42nd homer and Aaron Hill singled home the winning run in the 11th inning to give the Toronto Blue Jays a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Friday night.

Adam Lind also went deep for the Blue Jays, who have hit a major league-best 195 home runs this season, including 110 at home.

Trailing 2-1, Detroit tied it in the ninth against Toronto closer Kevin Gregg. Austin Jackson led off with a triple to center and scored one out later when Johnny Damon singled through the drawn-in infield. The blown save was Gregg’s fifth.

The Blue Jays won it in the 11th against left-hander Phil Coke (7-3). John Buck hit a one-out single and, after Fred Lewis walked, Buck was replaced by pinch-runner John McDonald. Hill followed with a single to right and McDonald scored ahead of the throw from Casper Wells.

Shawn Camp (4-2) pitched two hitless innings for the win.

Detroit loaded the bases against Camp in the 10th on two walks and a throwing error by shortstop Yunel Escobar, but Damon flied out for the third out.

Miguel Cabrera hit a leadoff homer off the left-field foul screen in the sixth for Detroit, his 32nd.

Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander allowed two runs and five hits in eight innings. He walked two and struck out eight.

Detroit starters are 6-0 with a 1.26 ERA in the past eight games, striking out 51 while walking just nine.

Verlander retired 10 of the first 11 batters he faced, with a first-inning walk to Bautista the only blemish, before the Blue Jays got on the board with Bautista’s one-out drive to left in the fourth.

Verlander set down the next seven batters before Escobar’s single in the sixth. Bautista followed with a double to left but Vernon Wells grounded out for the final out.

Blue Jays right-hander Shaun Marcum was in trouble often in the early going, allowing two baserunners in each of the first, second and fifth innings, but turned the Tigers away empty-handed each time.

Marcum allowed one run and eight hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out four.

Pinch-hitter Ryan Raburn singled off Toronto lefty Jesse Carlson in the seventh and, one out later, Cabrera was intentionally walked. Jason Frasor struck out pinch-hitter Ramon Santiago for the third out.

Toronto first baseman Lyle Overbay left with an illness after striking out looking in the fifth and is hitless in 12 at-bats. Bautista moved from right field to first base, Travis Snider went from left to right and Lewis took over in left, batting in Overbay’s spot.

NOTES: Detroit scratched RHP Jeremy Bonderman from Saturday’s start because of soreness in his right side. RHP Alfredo Figaro (0-1) will replace Bonderman and oppose Toronto RHP Brandon Morrow (9-6). … Tigers manager Jim Leyland said Jackson would get the day off Saturday and Damon will be rested Sunday. … George Bell holds Toronto’s single-season home run record, swatting 47 en route to AL MVP honors in 1987.