Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus was there in the sixth inning of Friday nights game against the Kansas City Royals, after instant replay overturned what looked like a momentum-building, inning-ending double play.
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Justin Upton, Victor Martinez and Cameron Maybin all homered as the Tigers won their fifth straight game to keep the lead in the race for the American League’s second Wild Card. The pen and offense saved the day as starter Yordano Ventura allowed three runs on ten hits over four frames with six relievers holding serve. He struggled to get hitters out in two-strike counts, and had to work around baserunners in all but the the first and third innings.
The last Royal to reach 30 home runs was Jermaine Dye, who hit 33 in 2000.
You ever just want to get the last word in, when youre having an argument you know youre probably bound to lose?
“I still feel good, so I guess it’s working”, Fulmer said. Tigers 3B Nick Castellanos (hand) was scheduled to take part in an Instructional League game Monday but it’s looking increasingly unlikely he’ll be able to return to the majors as the regular season winds down. The only player with more home runs against the Rays is Alex Rodriguez (56).
J.D. Martinez – His beard freshly trimmed, the Tigers outfielder had two critical RBI singles in the third and sixth innings. “Really good fastball, down in the zone, really good slider, really good changeup”.
Paulo Orlando hit a game-tying two-run double to center off Rodriguez. With two on and one out, J.D. Martinez hit an RBI single to left.
Lefty Daniel Norris pitched the first 5 2/3 innings for the Tigers and left with a 3-2 lead. He would finish with six strikeouts in 5 ⁄3 innings of work, but at 100 pitches with two outs in the sixth he just didn’t have enough command to finish it out. He’s 5-4 with a 3.42 ERA in 13 post-All-Star game starts. Kinsler scored on a single on a ground ball to center by Maybin.
The Tigers took a 2-1 lead in the third inning.
Kansas City entered the weekend clash versus the fellow AL Central Tigers on a four-game skid.
Royals: C Salvador Perez started after missing Friday night’s game with a minor knee issue. The righty’s early exit was just another injury in a long list of setbacks for Royals manager Ned Yost, who’s lost a ton of key assets throughout the course of the entire season.
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Ian Kinsler – The Tigers second baseman reached base in four of five plate appearances and made a nifty play in shallow right field to throw out Kendrys Morales in the eighth.
