DETROIT(AP) -- Brian Tallet has bounced back and forth between
Toronto's rotation and bullpen all season.

So far, a bit of stability seems to be doing him good.

Tallet, who is expected to start for the rest of the season,
responded with one of his best outings of the year in a 6-4
victory over Detroit Friday night.

"It helps with my focus, because I know I'll be getting the ball
every five days or so," he said. "I'm just trying to soak up as
many innings as I can."

Tallet (7-9) is now 2-0 as a starter in September. He allowed
three runs and eight hits in 6 1-3 innings, and matched a career
high with seven strikeouts.

"When I strike guys out, it is usually an accident," he said.
"I'm mainly pitching to contact, but tonight I was getting ahead
of guys and putting them away. I don't usually do that."

The AL Central-leading Tigers have lost four straight to Kansas
City and Toronto after a six-game winning streak.

"Maybe we're looking at the scoreboard, but we should be looking
at something else," said Tigers manager Jim Leyland. "I think
guys are a little too casual around here. They need to step it
up. We need to play better, pitch better, hit better and shut
some people down."

One Tiger, though, thought the opposition pitching had more to
do with the losses than any loss of focus.

"It's hard not to look at the scoreboard, because they are
everywhere," said Curtis Granderson. "You have to look at how
we've lost these four games. Kansas City pitched well, and
that's why they won, and tonight the Jays pitched well."

The Blue Jays won for just the third time in their last 13 road
games.

"This is great for our team, because we get a chance to play
spoiler," Tallet said. "That's a bonus for us."

Three relievers finished, with Jason Frasor pitching the ninth
for his ninth save.

"Jason's been great for us," Toronto manager Cito Gaston said.
"I don't know if the success comes first or the confidence, but
he's got both of them right now and they build off each other."

Nate Robertson (1-2) took the loss, allowing two runs and six
hits in 3 2-3 innings. He walked five.

Toronto loaded the bases with two out in the first, but Rod
Barajas flew out to the warning track in left to end the inning,
and the Blue Jays stranded two more runners in each of the next
two innings.

"We let them get away a couple times at the beginning of the
game," Gaston said. "Two of the balls we hit would probably have
been out of most parks, especially the one Rod hit, but we got a
couple out later."

The Tigers took advantage in the third, taking a 1-0 lead when
Gerald Laird doubled and scored on Ryan Raburn's sacrifice fly.

Toronto broke through in the fourth, chasing Robertson with a
pair of runs. With two out, Adam Lind's single brought home
Randy Ruiz, and Vernon Wells followed with an RBI double.

Wells made it 3-1 with a sixth-inning sacrifice fly off Armando
Galarraga, and Tallet got out of a bases-loaded jam in the
bottom of the inning. Barajas homered in the seventh, and after
a Edwin Encarnacion single, Ruiz's two-run homer off Ryan Perry
gave the Blue Jays a 6-1 lead.

Detroit rallied for three runs on five hits and a sacrifice fly
in the seventh, but Jeremy Accardo struck out Brandon Inge to
end the inning with runners on the corners. The Tigers also
stranded two runners in the eighth.

NOTES: Granderson hit seventh for the Tigers - the first time in
his career that he had batted in that spot, and the lowest he
has hit since batting eighth on June 22, 2008. ... Robertson
left the game with a strained groin and will undergo further
tests on Saturday. ... A small child ran on the field between
the seventh and eighth innings and picked up the ball sitting
behind the mound before returning to the stands. ... Lind left
the game with a shin contusion, and is listed as day-to-day.