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DET@MIN: Anibal recovers on comebacker to get the out

Thus far the Tigers haven't gotten the Anibal Sanchez they thought they were when they acquired him in a deal with the Marlins last month.

In four starts with Detroit, the right-hander is 1-3 with a 7.97 ERA, and has allowed 35 hits in 20 1/3 innings. He'll look to change his fortunes within the confines of Comerica Park on Wednesday, when the Tigers and Blue Jays play the second of a three-game set.

Sanchez's first start in the American League came on the road at Toronto's Rogers Centre, where he allowed three home runs in a losing effort. But he'll be facing a much different Blue Jays lineup, as the club has been decimated by injuries. He'll also get his chance for revenge at home, where he's recorded his only win since joining Detroit.

Despite the slow start, Sanchez has the support of his club, which believes he will begin to resemble the pitcher who struck out more than 200 batters in 2011 and had an ERA under 4.00 in four consecutive seasons with the Marlins, including the 19 outings he made with them this season.

"[I told him], 'Don't press,'" Tigers pitching coach Jeff Jones said. "'Don't try to do more than what you can.' I told him yesterday, 'You're going to be huge for us down the stretch. You've been successful, and you're going to be successful again.'"

Sanchez, who will be pitching on eight days' rest, will be opposed by another struggling pitcher, Toronto left-hander Aaron Laffey.

Laffey is 1-3 with a 7.39 ERA, and he surrendered eight home runs over his past five starts after going 2-1 with a 2.77 ERA during the previous five.

Laffey, who began the season at Triple-A Las Vegas, is trying to remain upbeat.

"I just worry about myself, and in the end, go back and take the positives from this game," Laffey said following his most recent start, a loss to the White Sox. "Obviously, the three [homers that I allowed], there's nothing you can really do about those, you can't take them back. So, just move on."

The Blue Jays, who have lost three straight, haven't won a series since taking two of three from the Tigers from July 27-29, a span of six consecutive series. A loss on Wednesday would stretch that to seven.

Blue Jays: Lawrie not joining team
The Blue Jays were hoping that third baseman Brett Lawrie would rejoin the team in Detroit, but the 22-year-old had a setback after playing in a pair of rehab games over the weekend.

Lawrie, who has been out since Aug. 3 with a strained left oblique, felt some discomfort in the area on Monday and, as a result, has been shut down for at least another week.

Over 100 games this season, he is batting .282 with nine home runs and 40 RBIs.

• Edwin Encarnacion blasted his 32nd home run of the season, tying him for third in the Major Leagues, off Tigers starter Max Scherzer in Tuesday's 5-3 loss.

Encarnacion ranks among the top 10 in the AL in total bases, RBIs, runs scored, on-base percentage, OPS, extra-base hits and walks.

The 29-year-old leads the Blue Jays in hits, homers, RBIs and walks. If that stands, he will become the third player in franchise history to top all four categories, joining Carlos Delgado (2000) and Jose Bautista (2011).

Tigers: Cabrera keeps rolling
All-Star Miguel Cabrera drove in his Major League-leading 105th run in Tuesday's victory.

The RBI was Cabrera's 20th of August. He has driven in at least 20 in every month of the season.

Cabrera has reached the 30-homer, 100-RBI plateau in six straight seasons, and eight of the past nine.

• Leadoff hitter Austin Jackson increased his batting average to .400 over 18 career games against the Blue Jays after going 3-for-5 in Tuesday's win.

• Detroit pitchers need just one more strikeout to reach the 1,000-mark for the 13th time in club history.

Worth noting
• The Tigers have won 18 of their past 23 games at home. In the AL, only the Yankees, Rangers and A's have more home wins than Detroit's 35. Toronto, meanwhile, has dropped nine of its past 11 on the road.

• Toronto's current roster has a .915 career OPS against Sanchez; the Tigers have a .900 OPS vs. Laffey.

• If Sanchez loses on Wednesday, Toronto will be the first team to which he has dropped three games this season. Sanchez lost an Interleague start against Toronto in June while with Miami.

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