DETROIT _ Whatever was said _ and the Detroit Tigers weren't saying _ it worked. At least for one game and with All-Star Michael Fulmer pitching a gem for the Tigers.
Fulmer allowed one run on two hits and a walk over eight innings. The Tigers went on to beat the Blue Jays, 11-1, Saturday. Fulmer walked one and struck out three.
J.D. Martinez hit a three-run homer run and finished 3 for 5 with five RBIs.
The Tigers held a team meeting before the game. Tigers manager Brad Ausmus wouldn't reveal what he said during the meeting, but in discussing the 10 walks allowed in Friday's 7-2 loss, Ausmus said the Tigers had to have better fastball command and had to throw more strikes.
Fulmer allowed one hit over the first seven innings. Kendrys Morales hit a line-drive single to center with one out in the second. Fulmer didn't allow another hit until a one-out single by Troy Tulowitzki in the eighth.
It was the second-largest crowd of the season at Comerica Park, with 40,036 in attendance. The largest crowd (45,013) this season was the home opener, a 6-5 win over the Red Sox on April 7.
The Tigers scored five runs off left-handed pitcher Francisco Liriano, who didn't make it out of the third inning on Saturday. It was later announced that he left with neck tightness.
Nick Castellanos gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead in the first with a home run to rightfield. It was his 11th home run of the season.
The Tigers added another run in the second. Mikie Mahtook hit a two-out single and later scored on an RBI bloop single by Jose Iglesias.
Liriano went wild in the third inning. He walked the first three batters _ Castellanos, Justin Upton and Miguel Cabrera _ then fell behind 2-0 to Martinez before leaving the game.
Right-hander Mike Bolsinger replaced Liriano and gave up a two-run single to Martinez. Cabrera later scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Mahtook.
Cabrera added a two-run home run in the sixth inning to give the Tigers a seven-run cushion. It was Cabrera's 12th home run of the season.
Martinez hit his 15th home run of the season in the eighth to give the Tigers a 10-run cushion.
Cabrera finished 3 for 4 with two RBIs and three runs scored and Iglesias was 3 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored.
