KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Victor Martinez hit three home runs, the Tigers pounded out six as a team and Detroit rallied from an early hole to beat the Kansas City Royals in the opener of a four-game series.
There should have been ample reason to celebrate.
Instead, there was just a little bit of melancholy in the clubhouse after a 10-4 victory Thursday night, the fallout of an injury to J.D. Martinez that could keep the outfielder out for up to six weeks.
Martinez was tracking a fly ball in the second inning when he hit the wall. He left the game and was taken for an X-ray, which revealed a non-displaced fracture in his right elbow. He'll have a CT scan on Friday.
"We feel bad for J.D. It looked innocent," said the Tigers' Ian Kinsler.
In the meantime, Steven Moya will take his place in the lineup.
"We'd much rather have J.D. healthy and in the lineup, but he's not," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said, "so we need Steven to pick up the slack, and everybody else to pick up the slack."
They certainly did that Thursday night.
Victor Martinez hit a pair of solo shots and Nick Castellanos went deep before James McCann homered off Royals reliever Luke Hochevar (1-1) leading off the seventh to knot the game 4-all. Cabrera followed moments later with a two-run shot that gave the Tigers their first lead of the game.
Detroit added three more runs in the eighth before Martinez hit his third homer in the ninth. The veteran designated hitter's other three-homer game came on July 16, 2004, at Seattle.
"I hung the bullpen out to dry," said Royals starter Danny Duffy, who gave up the first two of Martinez's homers. "I didn't have my best stuff. I didn't feel my best. That's one thing people who stick around here do, is battle when they don't feel as good as they normally do."
Justin Verlander (7-5) allowed four runs on eight hits over seven innings, continuing his mastery of the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Verlander improved to 13-5 in 22 starts in the ballpark.
Not only did the Royals' five-game win streak end, so did their nine game home winning streak. It was their longest since reeling off 11 consecutive victories from March 31 to May 5, 2003.
"They have a good lineup, but then again you don't want to go into it tying your own hands," Hochevar said. "You've still got to go out and pitch your game, pitch your strengths and attack them and trust your stuff is good enough to get them out."
The Royals were in control until their normally staunch bullpen let them down. Eric Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain drove in runs in the first inning to give them the lead, and Brett Eibner -- fresh of the disabled list -- matched Martinez's first homer by driving in a run in the bottom of the second.
Martinez and Castellanos went deep in the fourth, tying the game, before Eibner connected leading off the fifth for the first home run of his career. But then the Royals' relievers began throwing batting practice.
McCann's tying shot cleared the wall in spacious Kauffman Stadium with plenty of room to spare, and the home run by Cabrera -- his 12th career homer at The K -- just cleared the wall in right field.
Martinez capped the big night for the Tigers offense with his no-doubt homer in the ninth.
"Definitely, I felt pretty good," said Martinez, who was back in the lineup after getting some rest for a bothersome knee. "But the most important thing was to put together a good game like that."
ROSTER MOVES
Eibner, who had been out with a sprained left ankle, arrived about an hour before first pitch and was put right into the lineup. The Royals optioned OF Reymond Fuentes to Triple-A Omaha to make room for him.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Tigers: OF Cameron Maybin got the night off with tightness in his quad.
Royals: LF Alex Gordon (broken wrist) took batting practice for the second straight day, hitting a series of homers into the fountains. Royals manager Ned Yost said he could begin a rehab assignment this week.
UP NEXT
Tigers RHP Michael Fulmer has won five straight games, allowing one earned run over 34 1/3 innings, and has thrown at least six shutout innings in each of his last four starts. He'll face Royals RHP Yordano Ventura, who struck out a season-high 10 in a win over the White Sox last Sunday.
Detroit Tigers
There should have been ample reason to celebrate.
Instead, there was just a little bit of melancholy in the clubhouse after a 10-4 victory Thursday night, the fallout of an injury to J.D. Martinez that could keep the outfielder out for up to six weeks.
Martinez was tracking a fly ball in the second inning when he hit the wall. He left the game and was taken for an X-ray, which revealed a non-displaced fracture in his right elbow. He'll have a CT scan on Friday.
"We feel bad for J.D. It looked innocent," said the Tigers' Ian Kinsler.
In the meantime, Steven Moya will take his place in the lineup.
"We'd much rather have J.D. healthy and in the lineup, but he's not," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said, "so we need Steven to pick up the slack, and everybody else to pick up the slack."
They certainly did that Thursday night.
Victor Martinez hit a pair of solo shots and Nick Castellanos went deep before James McCann homered off Royals reliever Luke Hochevar (1-1) leading off the seventh to knot the game 4-all. Cabrera followed moments later with a two-run shot that gave the Tigers their first lead of the game.
Detroit added three more runs in the eighth before Martinez hit his third homer in the ninth. The veteran designated hitter's other three-homer game came on July 16, 2004, at Seattle.
"I hung the bullpen out to dry," said Royals starter Danny Duffy, who gave up the first two of Martinez's homers. "I didn't have my best stuff. I didn't feel my best. That's one thing people who stick around here do, is battle when they don't feel as good as they normally do."
Justin Verlander (7-5) allowed four runs on eight hits over seven innings, continuing his mastery of the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Verlander improved to 13-5 in 22 starts in the ballpark.
Not only did the Royals' five-game win streak end, so did their nine game home winning streak. It was their longest since reeling off 11 consecutive victories from March 31 to May 5, 2003.
"They have a good lineup, but then again you don't want to go into it tying your own hands," Hochevar said. "You've still got to go out and pitch your game, pitch your strengths and attack them and trust your stuff is good enough to get them out."
The Royals were in control until their normally staunch bullpen let them down. Eric Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain drove in runs in the first inning to give them the lead, and Brett Eibner -- fresh of the disabled list -- matched Martinez's first homer by driving in a run in the bottom of the second.
Martinez and Castellanos went deep in the fourth, tying the game, before Eibner connected leading off the fifth for the first home run of his career. But then the Royals' relievers began throwing batting practice.
McCann's tying shot cleared the wall in spacious Kauffman Stadium with plenty of room to spare, and the home run by Cabrera -- his 12th career homer at The K -- just cleared the wall in right field.
Martinez capped the big night for the Tigers offense with his no-doubt homer in the ninth.
"Definitely, I felt pretty good," said Martinez, who was back in the lineup after getting some rest for a bothersome knee. "But the most important thing was to put together a good game like that."
ROSTER MOVES
Eibner, who had been out with a sprained left ankle, arrived about an hour before first pitch and was put right into the lineup. The Royals optioned OF Reymond Fuentes to Triple-A Omaha to make room for him.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Tigers: OF Cameron Maybin got the night off with tightness in his quad.
Royals: LF Alex Gordon (broken wrist) took batting practice for the second straight day, hitting a series of homers into the fountains. Royals manager Ned Yost said he could begin a rehab assignment this week.
UP NEXT
Tigers RHP Michael Fulmer has won five straight games, allowing one earned run over 34 1/3 innings, and has thrown at least six shutout innings in each of his last four starts. He'll face Royals RHP Yordano Ventura, who struck out a season-high 10 in a win over the White Sox last Sunday.
8:15PM,EDT,June 16,2016
Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
| View: Play-By-Play | Pitch-By-Pitch | Inning: All | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Detroit - Top of 1st | SCORE | |
|---|---|---|
| Danny Duffy pitching for Kansas City | DET | KC |
| Kinsler fouled out to first. | 0 | 0 |
| Iglesias grounded out to shortstop. | 0 | 0 |
| Cabrera struck out swinging. | 0 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Kansas City - Bottom of 1st | SCORE | |
| Justin Verlander pitching for Detroit | DET | KC |
| Merrifield singled to left. | 0 | 0 |
| Escobar doubled to deep center, Merrifield to third. | 0 | 0 |
| Hosmer grounded out to second, Merrifield scored, Escobar to third. | 0 | 1 |
| Cain doubled to right, Escobar scored. | 0 | 2 |
| Pérez flied out to center. | 0 | 2 |
| Morales grounded out to second. | 0 | 2 |
| 2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Top of 2nd | SCORE | |
| Danny Duffy pitching for Kansas City | DET | KC |
| V. Martínez homered to left (378 feet). | 1 | 2 |
| J.D. Martinez struck out swinging. | 1 | 2 |
| Castellanos flied out to center. | 1 | 2 |
| Upton struck out looking. | 1 | 2 |
| 1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Kansas City - Bottom of 2nd | SCORE | |
| Justin Verlander pitching for Detroit | DET | KC |
| Orlando tripled to deep right. | 1 | 2 |
| Romine in center field. | 1 | 2 |
| Upton in left field. | 1 | 2 |
| Aviles in right field. | 1 | 2 |
| Cuthbert struck out looking. | 1 | 2 |
| Eibner singled to right center, Orlando scored. | 1 | 3 |
| Merrifield grounded into double play, pitcher to shortstop to first, Eibner out at second. | 1 | 3 |
| 1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Top of 3rd | SCORE | |
| Danny Duffy pitching for Kansas City | DET | KC |
| McCann walked. | 1 | 3 |
| Aviles singled to right center, McCann to second. | 1 | 3 |
| Kinsler struck out swinging. | 1 | 3 |
| Iglesias grounded into fielder's choice to shortstop, Aviles out at second, McCann to third. | 1 | 3 |
| Cabrera flied out to right. | 1 | 3 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Kansas City - Bottom of 3rd | SCORE | |
| Justin Verlander pitching for Detroit | DET | KC |
| Escobar struck out swinging. | 1 | 3 |
| Hosmer struck out swinging. | 1 | 3 |
| Cain singled to right. | 1 | 3 |
| Cain caught stealing second, catcher to second. | 1 | 3 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Top of 4th | SCORE | |
| Danny Duffy pitching for Kansas City | DET | KC |
| V. Martínez homered to left center (426 feet). | 2 | 3 |
| Romine grounded out to shortstop. | 2 | 3 |
| Castellanos homered to center (439 feet). | 3 | 3 |
| Upton popped out to first. | 3 | 3 |
| McCann walked. | 3 | 3 |
| Aviles grounded out to second. | 3 | 3 |
| 2 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Kansas City - Bottom of 4th | SCORE | |
| Justin Verlander pitching for Detroit | DET | KC |
| Pérez hit by pitch. | 3 | 3 |
| Morales struck out swinging. | 3 | 3 |
| Orlando flied out to right. | 3 | 3 |
| Cuthbert struck out swinging. | 3 | 3 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Top of 5th | SCORE | |
| Danny Duffy pitching for Kansas City | DET | KC |
| Kinsler flied out to right. | 3 | 3 |
| Iglesias lined out to left. | 3 | 3 |
| Cabrera grounded out to pitcher. | 3 | 3 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Kansas City - Bottom of 5th | SCORE | |
| Justin Verlander pitching for Detroit | DET | KC |
| Eibner homered to right center (423 feet). | 3 | 4 |
| Merrifield struck out looking. | 3 | 4 |
| Escobar fouled out to first. | 3 | 4 |
| Hosmer hit by pitch. | 3 | 4 |
| Cain grounded into fielder's choice to shortstop, Hosmer out at second. | 3 | 4 |
| 1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Top of 6th | SCORE | |
| Joakim Soria pitching for Kansas City | DET | KC |
| Soria relieved Duffy. | 3 | 4 |
| V. Martínez grounded out to first. | 3 | 4 |
| Romine singled to center. | 3 | 4 |
| Castellanos flied out to center, Romine to second. | 3 | 4 |
| Upton struck out looking. | 3 | 4 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Kansas City - Bottom of 6th | SCORE | |
| Justin Verlander pitching for Detroit | DET | KC |
| Pérez singled to right. | 3 | 4 |
| Morales flied out to left. | 3 | 4 |
| Orlando grounded out to pitcher, Pérez to second. | 3 | 4 |
| Cuthbert walked. | 3 | 4 |
| Eibner lined out to left. | 3 | 4 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Top of 7th | SCORE | |
| Luke Hochevar pitching for Kansas City | DET | KC |
| Hochevar relieved Soria. | 3 | 4 |
| McCann homered to center (423 feet). | 4 | 4 |
| Aviles grounded out to first. | 4 | 4 |
| Kinsler flied out to left. | 4 | 4 |
| Iglesias singled to left center. | 4 | 4 |
| Cabrera homered to right (378 feet), Iglesias scored. | 6 | 4 |
| V. Martínez struck out swinging. | 6 | 4 |
| 3 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Kansas City - Bottom of 7th | SCORE | |
| Justin Verlander pitching for Detroit | DET | KC |
| Merrifield grounded out to second. | 6 | 4 |
| Escobar grounded out to shortstop. | 6 | 4 |
| Hosmer struck out swinging. | 6 | 4 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Top of 8th | SCORE | |
| Peter Moylan pitching for Kansas City | DET | KC |
| Moylan relieved Hochevar. | 6 | 4 |
| Romine singled to right. | 6 | 4 |
| Castellanos walked, Romine to second. | 6 | 4 |
| Upton singled to right, Romine scored, Castellanos to third. | 7 | 4 |
| McCann hit sacrifice fly to center, Castellanos scored. | 8 | 4 |
| Aviles grounded out to shortstop, Upton to second. | 8 | 4 |
| Kinsler singled to right, Upton scored. | 9 | 4 |
| Iglesias reached on infield single to shortstop, Kinsler to second. | 9 | 4 |
| Cabrera flied out to center. | 9 | 4 |
| 3 Runs, 4 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Kansas City - Bottom of 8th | SCORE | |
| Shane Greene pitching for Detroit | DET | KC |
| Greene relieved Verlander. | 9 | 4 |
| Cain grounded out to second. | 9 | 4 |
| Pérez struck out swinging. | 9 | 4 |
| Morales reached on infield single to third. | 9 | 4 |
| Orlando singled to right, Morales to second. | 9 | 4 |
| Cuthbert grounded out to second. | 9 | 4 |
| 0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Detroit - Top of 9th | SCORE | |
| Chien-Ming Wang pitching for Kansas City | DET | KC |
| Wang relieved Moylan. | 9 | 4 |
| V. Martínez homered to right center (424 feet). | 10 | 4 |
| Romine flied out to left. | 10 | 4 |
| Castellanos struck out looking. | 10 | 4 |
| Upton grounded out to second. | 10 | 4 |
| 1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Kansas City - Bottom of 9th | SCORE | |
| Alex Wilson pitching for Detroit | DET | KC |
| A. Wilson relieved Greene. | 10 | 4 |
| Eibner grounded out to shortstop. | 10 | 4 |
| Merrifield struck out swinging. | 10 | 4 |
| Escobar grounded out to second. | 10 | 4 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
Detroit Tigers
| Hitters | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | #P | AVG | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kinsler 2B | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 19 | .312 | .366 | .538 |
| Iglesias SS | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | .254 | .315 | .328 |
| Cabrera 1B | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 18 | .299 | .374 | .524 |
| V. Martínez DH | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 19 | .338 | .387 | .559 |
| J.D. Martinez RF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .286 | .358 | .520 |
Romine CF
| 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | .195 | .298 | .244 |
| Castellanos 3B | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 26 | .296 | .329 | .529 |
| Upton CF-LF | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 18 | .229 | .282 | .346 |
| McCann C | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 16 | .195 | .244 | .336 |
| Aviles LF-RF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | .227 | .266 | .253 |
| Totals | 39 | 10 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 159 | |||
| BATTING HR: V. Martínez 3 (12, 2nd inning off Duffy 0 on, 0 Out; 4th inning off Duffy 0 on, 0 Out; 9th inning off Wang 0 on, 0 Out); Castellanos (13, 4th inning off Duffy 0 on, 1 Out); McCann (4, 7th inning off Hochevar 0 on, 0 Out); Cabrera (13, 7th inning off Hochevar 1 on, 2 Out) RBI: V. Martínez 3 (38), Castellanos (39), McCann 2 (18), Cabrera 2 (39), Upton (23), Kinsler (45) SF: McCann 2-out RBI: Cabrera 2, Kinsler Tigers RISP: 2-7 (Kinsler 1-2, Cabrera 0-2, Iglesias 0-1, Upton 1-2) Team LOB: 6 | ||||||||||
| FIELDING DP: 1 (Verlander-Iglesias-Cabrera). | ||||||||||
Game Notes
| RF J.D. MARTINEZ (FRACTURED RIGHT ELBOW) LEFT GAME BOT 2ND |
Game Information
| Stadium | Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO |
| Attendance | 33,568 (88.6% full) - % is based on regular season capacity |
| Game Time | 3:15 |
| Weather | 93 degrees, clear |
| Wind | 5 mph |
| Umpires | Home Plate - Angel Hernandez, First Base - Will Little, Second Base - Ted Barrett, Third Base - Gabe Morales |
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