nterview with GQ magazine this summer.Ramsey called Buffalo

Stuck in an 11-game losing streak Jahlani Tavai Jersey , the Detroit Tigers cleared the air with a pregame meeting. Then Nick Castellanos went out and cleared the bases with an important home run that helped stop Detroit’s slide.

Castellanos hit his fourth career grand slam, Jordan Zimmermann pitched seven strong innings and the Tigers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 9-1 on Sunday.

Manager Ron Gardenhire scheduled the pregame meeting, a relaxed session in which players were invited to say whatever was on their mind. Castellanos called it an opportunity to ”just kind of address the elephant in the room.”

”It gave anybody a chance that wanted to speak up to speak up,” said Castellanos, adding that Victor Martinez, James McCann and Gardenhire were among those who talked.

JaCoby Jones hit a two-run homer as the Tigers won for the first time since June 17, when they completed a three-game road sweep of the Chicago White Sox.

Castellanos nearly hit another home run in the ninth but Blue Jays outfielder Kevin Pillar made a leaping catch at the wall.

”I felt like I was going to have a chance to make a play,” Pillar said. ”A ball like that hit as high as it is it allows me time to kind of track the ball and track the fence and go up to try to make a play. ”

Castellanos stopped on the basepaths to applaud Pillar’s catch before turning and heading back to the dugout.

”What else can you say the end of the day besides `What a play,”’ Castellanos said. ”It sucks it had to happen to me but plays like that have to happen to somebody.”

Niko Goodrum had a career-high four hits and Jose Iglesias had two hits and two RBIs for Detroit Will Harris Jersey , which had lost 12 of 14 at Rogers Centre.

”That was a fun win, a really fun with with a lot of great swings,” Gardenire said.

Zimmermann (3-0) allowed one run and five hits in his third start since returning from a shoulder injury that caused him to miss more than a month.

”He had a great curveball today,” Gardenhire said. ”That’s probably the best curveball I’ve seen all year out of him.”

Wearing red jerseys and caps for Canada Day, the Blue Jays couldn’t deliver a win for the holiday crowd of 37,445.

Tigers outfielder Leonys Martin left with a sore left hamstring after his bases-loaded bunt single in the fifth brought home Detroit’s first run. Martin was replaced by Victor Reyes.

Following the game, Gardenhire said Martin would be placed on the 10-day disabled list. A corresponding roster move will be made before Monday afternoon’s series finale.

Castellanos followed with his 13th home run, a shot that bounced off the top of the wall in right. It was his first grand slam since Sept. 8, 2017 Austin Bryant Jersey , also against Toronto.

Castellanos also made a fine catch in right, reaching back to grab Russell Martin’s line drive for the final out of the fourth.

Iglesias chased Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ (10-4) with a two-out, two-run single in the sixth.

Happ matched season-worsts by allowing seven runs and 10 hits in 5 2-3 innings.

”It’s not a pretty outing and I own that,” Happ said.

Happ had won six consecutive decisions since his previous defeat, May 10 against Seattle.

Teoscar Hernandez tripled in the first and scored on a two-out double by Justin Smoak, but Zimmermann recovered to retire the next nine Blue Jays batters.

For the second straight game, the roof was closed at Rogers Centre because of high heat and humidity.

MUSIC MAN

Blue Jays RHP John Axford complied a list of more than 500 songs by Canadian artists and has been playing his mix in the clubhouse all weekend. Axford’s `Oh Canada!’ playlist can be streamed using the online music service Spotify.

NOT YOUR DAY

The Blue Jays are 14-26 on Canada Day, including a 12-17 mark at home.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: RHP Alex Wilson, who left in the eighth inning Saturday because of a sore left calf Rashan Gary Jersey , was not available. … RHP Drew VerHagen (nasal fracture) pitched one scoreless inning for Triple-A Toledo Saturday night, his first rehab appearance. VerHagen has been out since June 20.

Blue Jays: Toronto optioned utilityman Darnell Sweeney to Triple-A Buffalo after the game and will make a corresponding roster move Monday.

UP NEXT

Tigers RHP Mike Fiers (5-4, 4.04) faces Blue Jays LHP Ryan Borucki (0-1, 3.00) in Monday afternoon’s series finale. Fiers is 0-2 with a 5.91 ERA in two career starts at Rogers Centre. Borucki made his major league debut at Houston last Tuesday, allowing two runs in six innings.

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The NFL’s loudest trash talker has little to say after consecutive lopsided losses.Jacksonville Jaguars All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey delivered a repeat performance Thursday from his postgame news conference that followed a 40-7 loss to Dallas four days earlier.Ramsey drew sharp criticism for offering short answers in the locker room after the 33-point drubbing, mostly because he’s been so vocal — and critical — of fellow NFL players this year. He was equally succinct during his weekly media session in advance of Sunday’s game against Houston.Q: Where is the confidence level this week on defense? Still have confidence you guys can bounce back?A: We’ll see.Q: What are your thoughts about going up against Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins?A: Same as usual.Q: What’s that?A: Same as it’s always been. My past two years, y’all have asked me the same question. Well, last year y’all asked me. Next question.Q: Is Hopkins one of the guys you like going up against?A: Yeah.Q: Why?A: Uh Darnell Savage Jr. Jersey , just a good matchup.Q: You guys have always had confidence and now it’s, ‘We’ll see’. Why such a change?A: We’ve still got confidence, but we’re going to see how the game goes.Q: What did you see from quarterback Deshaun Watson in the opener last year and on tape this year?A: Really good.Ramsey spoke for a little more than a minute Thursday. His media session after the loss to the Cowboys was a few seconds longer.Neither compared to the verbose jabs Ramsey has taken against Kansas City “return specialist” Tyreek Hill and New England cornerback Stephon Gilmore in recent weeks.The third-year player and fifth overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft also ripped several NFL quarterbacks in an interview with GQ magazine this summer.Ramsey called Buffalo Bills rookie Josh Allen “trash” and said Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was “overrated.” Baltimore’s Joe Flacco, Indianapolis’ Andrew Luck and Eli Manning of the New York Giants also got less-than-stellar reviews. Ramsey called Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger “decent at best.”Ramsey also praised several QBs, including Watson.A few weeks later, Ramsey upset a number of hockey players and their fans by saying he could play in the NHL despite having never skated.The Tennessee native has 21 tackles and two pass breakups this season, part of a defense that allowed 802 yards, 63 points and 49 first downs in consecutive road losses to Kansas City and Dallas.