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Big hits in big spots and running the bases exceedingly well is something we’ve gotten quite used to over a 45-22 run since May 8, the best record in the major leagues over that span. What followed? Not so much.

With two out and Guerrero on third, Addison Barger was intentionally walked — for only the fourth time in his brief major-league career, all in the last two months. Ernie Clement followed and blasted a hanging slider 396 feet to deep left field for a three-run homer. 

That’s a beast that hasn’t been seen around these parts in a while, and it sent the Jays on their way to an 11-4 thrashing of the AL Central-leading Tigers at Comerica Park.

The Jays have made hay by stringing hits together, running the bases brilliantly and taking advantage of the openings that opponents give them, but the long ball hadn’t been much of a weapon recently.

The last three-run homer by a Blue Jay before Clement powered up was over three weeks ago, when Barger did it in the first inning of an 11-9 win over the New York Yankees at the Rogers Centre on July 2.

Since then, the Jays had been outhomered 21-17 going into Thursday’s game, though they had won 12 of 16.

The long ball, his fifth of the season, was especially sweet for Clement, who had snapped out of a 5-for-42 slump with two hits (including a pop-up lost in the lights for a triple) in Wednesday’s 8-4 win over the Yankees.

“I want that challenge, for sure,” said Clement. “I want that at-bat. If they’re going to walk him to face me, I’m ready.”

Joey Loperfido went back-to-back with Clement to make it a five-run frame, and the Jays tacked on four in the seventh — the highlight a two-run lefty-on-lefty triple by Barger into the gap in right-centre.

“These guys have been relentless,” manager John Schneider said after the Jays’ 17th win in their last 21 games pushed them a game ahead of the Houston Astros for the best record in the American League.

“I’ve heard a lot of talk about us being a gritty team that isn’t sustainable. I think the exact opposite. I think we’re gritty as hell, but I think a lot of the stuff that we’re doing is going to lead to a lot of wins.”

Incredibly, especially given their lack of home run power, the Jays have had six innings in which they scored at least four runs over the seven games since the all-star break.

“We’re just firing on all cylinders,” said Clement. “It takes a lot of pressure off of our pitching when we put up that kind of run support. We have to keep it rolling, no doubt.”

The beneficiary of all the offence was the most valuable of the Jays’ unsung heroes this season: left-hander Eric Lauer, who improved to 6-2 despite not entering the starting rotation full-time until mid-June.

Lauer allowed a first-inning home run to Jahmai Jones before retiring 20 of the next 22 batters he faced, including a four-pitch fifth inning. The eight-inning performance was the second-longest of his major-league career, only surpassed by a July 10, 2018 start for the San Diego Padres at home to the Los Angeles Dodgers, in which he threw 8 2/3 innings in a 4-1 win.

“Oh gosh, kind of makes me feel old,” Lauer said when that fact was pointed out. “Every time you go out there, you want to last as long as you possibly can, save the bullpen, just put your stamp on the game. I felt like being able to get through eight there was pretty big.”

Lauer was pitching with a six-stitch cut on the inside of his lower lip. He claimed (jokingly, we think) that it was punishment for trying to talk to Max Scherzer on Scherzer’s start day while the extremely intense Hall of Famer to be was sitting with his headphones on.

Early on, it felt like a preview of a really good playoff series: great pitching and strong defence in a quick-moving, tense, tight game for five innings. The Tigers looked every bit like the top team they’ve been most of the season — not the squad that has now lost 10 of its last 11 games. 

Then Barger was intentionally walked and the roof fell in on the home side.

Before that free pass, the Jays were 4-for-21. After, they had nine hits — five for extra bases — in their next 13 at-bats.

The Jays bided their time and when the Tigers opened the door, they barged right through. It was a perfect mix of everything they do well, with the added bonus of a three-run homer.

Now the Jays need to take two of the next three to secure a playoff tiebreaker over the Tigers, just like they did earlier this week against the Yankees.