Detroit Tigers vs Baltimore Orioles Match Player Stats On Aug 04, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Aug 4, 2017

BALTIMORE -- Justin Upton hit a grand slam off Mychal Givens in the top of the eighth inning, and Justin Verlander gave Detroit seven solid innings as the Tigers rallied for a 5-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night.

The Tigers (51-57), who have won four in a row, were trailing 2-1 when Givens came on in the eighth. He gave up two singles and then walked Jim Adduci -- who homered in the first -- to load the bases.

Upton then belted a grand slam to left on the first pitch from Givens (7-1). That put the Tigers on top, 5-2. This was Upton's third grand slam of the season, the last coming on July 30 versus Houston. Upton now has hit seven career grand slams.

Detroit could not do much against Baltimore starter Kevin Gausman, who allowed one run on just three hits (with eight strikeouts and one walk) in seven innings and left with a 2-1 lead.

But Verlander (7-7) kept the Tigers close by giving up two runs on six hits with 10 strikeouts in his seven innings.

He escaped a tough situation in the seventh when the Orioles (53-56) put runners on second and third with one out. Verlander then retired the next two batters and kept the score at 2-1.

Alex Wilson came on for Verlander and took care of the eighth. Bruce Rondon then closed it in the ninth for his first save this season.

Tim Beckham (4-for-4) and Manny Machado both hit solo homers for Baltimore early in the game, giving the Orioles that 2-1 lead.

The Tigers went ahead in the first inning for the second straight night when Adduci homered to left on a 1-2 pitch with one out. That gave Detroit an early 1-0 lead.

Baltimore did not need long to answer, tying the score on a Beckham homer in the bottom of the second inning.

The Orioles then took a 2-1 lead when Machado hit a solo homer to right in the third. That was his first home run since July 7.

NOTES: LF Trey Mancini sat out due to a sore left kneecap. He fouled a ball off it during Thursday's loss, and it's a day-to-day situation. ... Orioles C Caleb Joseph got hit on the hand on a pitch from RHP Justin Verlander in the seventh, but the umpires ruled Joseph actually went around on the 0-2 pitch and called it a strikeout. ... Detroit RF Jim Adduci's first-inning homer gave the Tigers three home runs in the opening frame of the first two games of this series. ... Tigers C James McCann singled in the eighth, stretching his career-long hitting streak to 14 games.