TORONTO - Josh Donalson belted a three-run home run and Josh Thole drove in a pair as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Detroit Tigers 6-1 on Sunday afternoon.

R.A. Dickey (7-9) tossed seven innings of one-run baseball, allowing five hits while striking out five and walking two. After six losses in home starts, Dickey has won back-to-back decisions at Rogers Centre.

The Blue Jays starting rotation finished the first half of the season leading the American League in earned-run average (3.64) and innings pitched (579.1).

Toronto (51-40) heads into the all-star break having won eight of nine games. The Tigers (46-43) have dropped three of their last four heading into the break.

Donaldson broke the game open with a three-run home run in the fourth inning to give Toronto a 5-0 lead.

The Blue Jays third baseman put Anibal Sanchez's 0-1 fastball into the seats in left-centre field for his 23rd homer of the season. Donaldson became just the sixth player in AL history to score 80 runs and hit 20 home runs prior to the all-star break.

Sanchez (5-10) allowed five runs on eight hits while striking out six and walking a pair over five innings of work.

Dustin Molleken, a native of Regina who spent 13 seasons in the minor leagues, pitched 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief for the Tigers. He struck out three and walked one while surrendering three hits in his second career big league appearance.

Thole got the Blue Jays offence started in the second inning, slapping a single to right field to score Troy Tulowitzki and Kevin Pillar. The RBI's were Thole's first since he homered in his first at-bat of the season on April 4.

The Tigers broke up Dickey's shutout in the fifth as Mike Aviles led off with a triple and later scored on a ground out by James McCann.

Michael Saunders added to the Blue Jays lead in the eighth, delivering an RBI single to give Toronto a 6-1 lead.

Notes: Blue Jays DH Edwin Encarnacion rescinded the appeal of his one-game suspension and served it on Sunday. … RHP Marcus Stroman is expected to get the first start out of the all-star break when Toronto visits Oakland on July 15.