Henry Owens Hit Hard In Spot Start, Red Sox Fall To Tigers
DETROIT -- Justin Upton cracked a pair of three-run home runs, J.D. Martinez squibbed a two-run double and Justin Verlander held Boston to one run in six innings Sunday to help the Detroit Tigers gain a split of a four-game series with a 10-5 victory over the Red Sox.
Upton, hitting .228 at game time, was in his second game back from three days of not starting so he could hit the mental reset button on a disappointing season.
He came up in the third with two on and tagged Boston emergency starter Henry Owens (0-1) for his 14th home run of the season. Owens, subbing for injured Eduardo Rodriguez, fed Upton a 2-0 changeup that Upton hit halfway up the stands in left to give Detroit a 5-0 lead.
Upton jumped on a 3-1 Owens fastball with two on in the fifth for his 15th home run of the year to make it 8-0. It came after Miguel Cabrera singled and stopped at third on a double to left by J.D. Martinez. The six RBIs equaled a career best for Upton, who came within inches of hitting a game-tying home run to dead center with two outs in the ninth Saturday night.
Verlander (13-7) blanked Boston on two hits for five innings before giving up a run in the sixth on a leadoff triple by rookie Andrew Benintendi plus a sacrifice fly by Dustin Pedroia. He walked one and struck out five.
Shane Greene took over in the seventh and gave up four quick runs that cut the Red Sox's deficit to 10-5. Sandy Leon had an RBI single, Travis Shaw hit into a run-scoring forceout and Benintendi launched his first major league home run, a two-run shot to extreme right.
Justin Wilson pitched the eighth for the Tigers and Kyle Ryan the ninth for Detroit, which won for just the fourth time in 14 games. Boston has lost just twice in its last 10.
J.D. Martinez shot his two-run double down the first-base line just before Upton's first home run. Cameron Maybin, fresh off the disabled list, grounded a two-run single to center for a 10-1 Tigers lead in the sixth.
NOTES: Tigers CF Cameron Maybin (left thumb) was activated off the disabled list and returned to the starting lineup Sunday, with SS Dixon Machado being optioned back to Triple-A Toledo. ... The Red Sox optioned SS Deven Marrero to Triple-A Pawtucket on Sunday to clear a spot for LHP Henry Owens, brought up to make an emergency start for the Red Sox. ... Detroit SS Jose Iglesias (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment Monday. Manager Brad Ausmus said it will be a few days of DHing and playing short before he is activated. ... Boston intends to activate Chris Young (hamstring) off the disabled list Monday. He is likely to be used off the bench to give Red Sox outfielders a breather.