TORONTO -- Ezequiel Carrera is known for the speed of his legs, but perhaps it's time to start respecting the prowess of his arm.
Carrera took a run away from the Tigers in the second inning of Toronto's 3-2 loss on Saturday at Rogers Centre, when he fired a strike from left field to home. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Carrera made a routine catch in left before he unloaded a rocket to Russell Martin at the plate.
The strike from left arrived well before Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez did. Even though Detroit went on to score one run in the inning, it could have been a lot worse without Carrera's timely throw.
"That was a huge play," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "You know what, when [Jose] Bautista went down, we didn't know what to expect. Now, here's Z's opportunity -- and he has done a tremendous job. We've been on a nice little run, and he has been a key part of that.
"Whether it's getting on base, getting the big hits, bunting, whatever he does -- and defensively, he has been great, too. That's the key for guys to hang around a long time in this league, getting the opportunity. He hadn't really gotten that, now he's gotten it and he's running with it."
According to Statcast™, Carrera's throw was 88.3 mph. That was his second-hardest throw of the year, after he previously hit 90.5 mph earlier in the season. The slow-footed Martinez helped the cause by reaching only 17.2 mph on his run home.
Carrera's throw left the Tigers with runners on first and second with two outs. Toronto right-hander Aaron Sanchez then walked Jarrod Saltalamacchia and hit Andrew Romine to force in a run, before eventually getting out of the jam.