Jose Bautista drives in 2 runs, Brandon Morrow earns 10th win as Blue Jays hold off Tigers 5-4

Bautista drives in 2, Blue Jays beat Tigers 5-4

TORONTO — Jose Bautista hit a two-run triple, Brandon Morrow earned his 10th win and the Toronto Blue Jays held off the Detroit Tigers 5-4 Saturday despite a shaky ninth inning.

One day after blowing a late lead, Kevin Gregg struck out Ramon Santiago with a runner on second for his 30th save in 35 chances.

The major league leader in home runs with 42, Bautista went 2 for 3 with a double, a triple and a walk. He has 99 RBIs this season.

Travis Snider was 3 for 4 with two doubles and an RBI to help Toronto overcome Miguel Cabrera’s 33rd homer.

Morrow (10-6) allowed one run and four hits in six innings to win for the first time since coming within one out of a no-hitter in a 17-strikeout performance Aug. 8 against Tampa Bay. The right-hander walked one and struck out nine. He has fanned 40 batters in his past four starts.

Jason Frasor and Brian Tallet each pitched a scoreless inning before Detroit rallied in the ninth.

Scott Downs hit pinch-hitter Austin Jackson in the leg with a pitch and Ryan Raburn followed with a double before Brandon Inge struck out. Pinch-hitter Jhonny Peralta walked to load the bases and Alex Avila hit an RBI groundout, chasing Downs.

Gregg came on and gave up a two-run double to Casper Wells, then struck out Santiago. The closer squandered a one-run lead in the ninth inning Friday night before the Blue Jays won in the 11th.

Toronto has won consecutive games for the first time since Aug. 15-16.

The Blue Jays scored three times in the first to jump on Tigers right-hander Alfredo Figaro (0-2), making his first start of the season in place of injured right-hander Jeremy Bonderman, scratched Friday with soreness in his right side.

Leadoff hitter Fred Lewis drew a four-pitch walk and stole second. Yunel Escobar singled and Bautista drove in both runners with a triple to center. Vernon Wells followed with an RBI grounder.

Cabrera hit a leadoff shot into the second deck in left in the second inning, his second homer in two days. Detroit has homered in 10 straight road games, hitting 20 homers during that span.

Adam Lind hit an RBI double in the third, but a missed call by plate umpire Phil Cuzzi cost Toronto a run in the fourth. Snider was called out at home on Lewis’ chopper to third, even though replays showed Snider’s foot beat the tag by Avila.

Inge reached on a throwing error to begin the fifth and went to third on Avila’s single but was thrown out at home when Will Rhymes bounced back to the mound.

Aaron Hill chased Figaro with a leadoff double in the sixth and Snider followed with an RBI double off left-hander Brad Thomas.

Figaro allowed five runs and eight hits in five-plus innings.

NOTES: Detroit C Gerald Laird (back) was unavailable for the second straight game and remains day to day. … After leaving Friday’s game with an illness, Toronto 1B Lyle Overbay stayed home Saturday, with Lind starting in his place. … The Tigers also homered in 10 straight road games July 3-22, 2008. … Detroit RHP Rick Porcello (6-11) faces Toronto LHP Marc Rzepczynski (1-2) in Sunday’s series finale.