Lyon gave up a lead-surrendering three-run home run on the first pitch he threw to Aaron Hill with two out in the eighth inning, then was on the mound in the bottom of the ninth when the winning run scored on a one-out sacrifice fly to center by Rod Barajas.

"We just didn't close it. We didn't stop it," manager Jim Leyland said after Detroit squandered a masterful performance by starter Edwin Jackson, who left with a 3-1 lead. "There was a play we didn't make (error by Brandon Inge), but that's all part of it. We needed one out, and we didn't get it."

It was similar to the way Detroit's bullpen imploded last year after Todd Jones saw his career end in August due to rotator cuff problems. The Tigers were among the worst teams in baseball in converting saves, mostly due to an inability to close out games in August and September.

The Tigers were financially constrained from pursuing any of the available high-priced closer options and eventually settled on more than $4 million for one year of Lyon.

Leyland said before Monday's season-opening 12-5 loss to Toronto he was not entirely satisfied with Lyon and Fernando Rodney at the back end of his bullpen, but that the situation would play itself out.

Rodney is waiting for a save situation and has not appeared in the first two games.

Hard-throwing rookie Ryan Perry, the club's first-round draft choice last June, may eventually get a shot, but he has less than 15 innings of pro experience, and that was at the rookie-league and high Class A level.

Joel Zumaya is another option, but the Tigers would like to see him get through a season healthy first. He is on the disabled list recuperating from shoulder muscle problems but is throwing again and could return before May.

Until then, Lyon and Rodney are what Leyland has to look at.

BLUE JAYS 5, TIGERS 4: Brandon Lyon, recruited by Detroit to vie for the closer's job this season, gave up a lead-changing three-run home run in the eighth and then served up a bases-loaded, game-ending sacrifice fly in the ninth to help Toronto make it two straight wins over the Tigers.

Brandon Inge, whose error prolonged the eighth and made Aaron Hill's three-run shot possible, smashed a score-tying solo home run with one out in the ninth off the third deck in left-center to create a 4-4 tie. Inge scored on a Curtis Granderson sacrifice fly in the third, and Marcus Thames had an RBI double in a two-run seventh. Edwin Jackson excelled for the Tigers, allowing just a solo home run in 7 1/3 innings. He walked one, fanned four and gave up just two hits.