TORONTO _ Miguel Cabrera returned from a six-game suspension and hit a two-run home run to left in the first inning for the Detroit Tigers.
The Tigers scored twice in the ninth but failed to bring home the tying run in a 5-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon at Rogers Centre.
Jeimer Candelario finished 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored and Cabrera was 2-for-4 for the Tigers.
Candelario led off the ninth with a walk and Cabrera followed with single on a ground ball to left.
Nick Castellanos hit a RBI double to right to cut the deficit to 5-3. Castellanos went 2-for-4 and has hit safely in 11 of his past 12 games.
After John Hicks grounded out to the pitcher, James McCann hit a RBI single to left to make it a one-run game. With runners on the corners and one out, JaCoby Jones popped out to second.
Andrew Romine struck out looking and finished 0-for-4 to end the game.
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Cabrera hit his 15th home run of the season and 461st of his career, moving into a tie with Adrian Beltre for 37th on MLB's all-time home run list.
The Blue Jays broke a 2-2 tie with two runs in the sixth inning. Kevin Pillar homered to left off Warwick Saupold to give the Jays a 3-2 lead. It was Pillar's 15th home run of the season. Pillar also had a RBI single in the first inning for the Jays.
Luke Maile, who came into the game batting .110, hit a two-out RBI single off lefty Daniel Stumpf to give the Jays a two-run cushion later in the inning.
The Blue Jays tied the game, 2-2, in the fourth inning. Kendrys Morales scored from third before Teoscar Hernandez was caught stealing for the third out. McCann threw to second with Hernandez running. But Hernandez stopped midway to second, which allowed Morales to race home. Tigers shortstop Dixon Machado eventually ran down Hernandez and tagged him out.
Lefty starter Chad Bell allowed two runs on five hits over 4 2/3 innings for the Tigers. He walked three and struck out five.
Saupold replaced Bell with two on and two out in the fifth. Saupold walked to Justin Smoak to load the bases, but got Morales to ground out to second to escape the jam.
Jose Bautista made a sliding catch in right to rob Castellanos of an RBI in the sixth and keep the game tied, 2-2.
Mikie Mahtook was originally slated to bat second and start in left for the Tigers, but was a late scratch due to left groin soreness. Romine started in place of Mahtook in left. He made a diving catch in the second inning and threw out Morales at home in the eighth.
The Tigers have lost seven of nine games this month.