Leonys Martin hit a grand slam and came a double shy of the cycle in the Detroit Tigers’ 13-8 win over the Orioles on Thursday.
Leonys Martin was so happy to hit his first career grand slam, he wrote a thank you note after the game.
Martin smiled as he held the grand slam ball in his hands after the Detroit Tigers’ 13-8 win over the Orioles on Thursday afternoon at Comerica Park, before tucking it away in his locker.
A fan who retrieved the grand slam ball had a simple request: an autographed ball from Martin in return. Martin obliged, scribbling a short message of thanks, before adding his signature on another ball.
Martin and Jeimer Candelario each hit home runs and finished a combined 7-for-9 with seven RBIs and four runs scored as the Tigers completed the three-game sweep of the Orioles.
Candelario (4-for-4 with a walk, three RBIs and a run scored) hit a two-run home run to left-center after Martin’s tripled to right center in the fourth.
“When we came to the ballpark we said, ‘Oh, today is going to be nice,’” Candelario said of the sunny skies and a game-time temperature of 45 degrees. “We take advantage of it.”
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Martin tied career highs in RBIs (four) and runs scored (three) in a game and finished 3-for-5. He had a leadoff single in the first inning. He hit his 20th career triple in the fourth and added the slam to right on a 1-1 pitch in the fifth.
Martin said he’d been robbed twice of grand slams on catches by George Springer of the Astros and Mike Trout of the Angels.
“Not a good feeling,” Martin said of the those near slams.
He didn’t have to worry about any outfield heroics on the ball he hit off Mike Wright Jr. in the fifth.
“That’s a good feeling, man,” Martin said. “I’ve been robbed twice. As soon as I hit that one, I knew it was gone. That’s a good feeling.”
Martin is hitting .295 as the Tigers’ leadoff hitter.
“We’ve got a lot of hungry guys on this team,” Martin said. “We do the best. Everybody is on the same page. We go out and fight every single day.”
Martin finished a double short of the cycle.
“I’ve been in this situation a few times and never get it done,” Martin said. “But, when I walk to the batting box, completely relaxed. Tried to swing at strikes. I did put a swing on it, but it’s all luck.”
He flied out to left in the seventh inning and was on-deck when Dixon Machado flied out the final out of the eighth inning.
The Tigers finished with 18 hits; everyone in the starting lineup had a hit except for Nicholas Castellanos (0-for-5, RBI). Jose Iglesias, who entered the game hitting.128, extended his hitting streak to four games and finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs.
« A lot of guys had some great days and the ball was banged around pretty good, » said Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. « I just wish we could have made it a little easier at the end. That happens too.
Left-hander Chad Bell and Drew VerHagen each allowed two runs in relief after Jordan Zimmermann allowed four runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings. He gave up a two-run homer to Chris Davis and a pair of solo homers to Manny Machado.
But the Tigers’ took a 12-3 lead after scoring five runs in the fifth inning.
Candelario finished 8-for-12 in the series with the Orioles and is hitting .529 (9-for-17) on the home stand, which continues with a split doubleheader on Friday against the Royals.
“I’m always ready for the mistake,” Candelario said. “Try to drive the ball to the gap and look for my fastball all the time. I just look for my fastball and react.”
Victor Martinez extended his hitting streak to a team-best five games with an RBi single in the first inning.
He said the way Candelario has remained patient hitting in front of Miguel Cabrera has been impressive.
“Anybody think that hitting in front of Miggy, you’re only going to see fastball, that’s not been the case with (Candelario),” Martinez said. “He’s been taking a lot of pitches, getting himself in good hitting counts. He’s putting a lot of good swings (together).”
Martinez said Candelario has always been willing to learn from veteran hitters.
“He hits in our group during (batting practice) and you can see the way he goes about his business,” Martinez said. “You can see he’s a guy that studies and wants to learn. He’s a guy that uses the whole field and doesn’t try to do too much.”
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