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 The Detroit Tigers right fielder has been beyond hot lately.
Martinez's leadoff home in the eighth inning, his 19th of the season
and 10th in 16 games, powered the Tigers to a 5-4 victory over the
Chicago White Sox on Friday night.
Martinez has hit nine of those home runs in his last 12 games, good
for 19 RBIs. In his 16-game streak he has driven in 23 runs.
"I'm getting like one hit a game," Martinez said, "and it just
happens to be a home run.
"I go up there just trying to hit something hard. That's what I do
-- try to hit something hard up the middle."
Martinez just missed getting a home run when he flied out close to
the warning track in straightaway center in the first inning. He
singled sharply to left in the fifth.
The game-winning home run would have been for naught, though, had a
strategic move not gone awry for Chicago in the bottom of the ninth.
Right-hander Joakim Soria came in to get the save, his 17th of the
season but his first since June 7. He had had no chances in the
interim.
Right fielder Avisail Garcia doubled to lead off the ninth for the
White Sox, and, following a strikeout, pinch-hitter J.B. Shuck
grounded a single to left to put runners at first and third.
Second baseman Carlos Sanchez tried to safety squeeze the tying run
home, but he popped the bunt up to first baseman Miguel Cabrera.
Center fielder Adam Eaton grounded into a force at second to end the
game.
"We have it on there as an option for him to do it," Chicago manager
Robin Ventura said. "But you just got to get it down on the ground
there. It just wasn't good execution.
"If you're going to do it, you have to get it on the ground. He had
the opportunity. If he gets it down, not only do you get a run, you
get the runner on first into scoring position. Eaton has a chance to
knock him in."
It didn't happen, though, just like a move that backfired on Detroit
manager Brad Ausmus on Thursday afternoon in a one-run Tigers' loss
to the White Sox.
The failed stratrgy left Friday's game to turn on the 1-0 pitch
Martinez hit off left-hander Zach Duke (3-3), the winner in
Thursday's series opener.
Right-hander Bruce Rondon (1-0) faced just three Chicago batters in
the top of the eighth to pick up the win. It was his second
appearance since being called up from the minors.
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Eaton smacked a fat 2-1 pitch into the right-field seats for his
second leadoff home run in two games, a feat last achieved by the
White Sox on May 8-10, 2013, by outfielder Alejandro De Aza.
The Tigers tied the score in the bottom of the first inning on
second baseman Ian Kinsler's single and an RBI double by Cabrera,
the first of his three doubles.
First baseman Jose Abreu put Chicago ahead 2-1 with two outs in the
third when he bounced his 13th home run off the padding atop the
fence in left-center.
Detroit tied the score 2-2 in the fourth on singles by Martinez,
third baseman Nick Castellanos and shortstop Jose Iglesias.
Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez lined a two-out single to
left in the fifth and scored from first on a triple off the wall in
deep right-center by left fielder Yoenis Cespedes, breaking the 2-2
tie.
Left fielder Melky Cabrera tripled down the first-base line in the
sixth to score designated hitter Adam LaRoche, who had doubled, and
get Chicago back into a tie at 3-3.
The home runs allowed by Sanchez were the 16th, 17th and 18th off
him this season, two shy of his career highs in 2011 and 2012.
NOTES: SS Alexei Ramirez returned to the Chicago lineup Friday after
sitting out the first seven innings Thursday. Manager Robin Ventura
slotted him second in the batting order. ... RHP Justin Verlander
has a bullpen session scheduled for Saturday, with an eye toward
returning to Detroit's rotation on Tuesday against Pittsburgh. ...
White Sox RHP Matt Albers (broken right pinkie finger) began a rehab
assignment Friday with Triple-A Rochester. ... Detroit 1B Miguel
Cabrera had three doubles in a game for the third time in his
career.
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