Detroit Tigers Joe Jimenez served up a home run to the first batter he faced since being recalled from Triple-A Toledo almost a week ago, as the Baltimore Orioles broke open a tie game to win 5-2 on Saturday night at Camden Yards. Jimenez, who hadn?t pitched since a week ago with Triple-A Toledo and didn?t allow a run over the past month with the Mud Hens, couldn?t escape the seventh inning after allowing a single and a walk. He retired two batters.
He hadn?t made a start since July 19 at Triple-A Toledo, and since July 24 had only pitched four innings out of the Tigers bullpen.
Baltimore broke open the game in the ninth against Edward Mujica. Tim Beckham homered for the third time since he joined the Orioles five days ago. It was the 10,000th home run in the team's history.
The loss snapped the Tigers' four-game winning streak, which had tied a season high. It was the third time this season that the Tigers have won four in a row but failed to win a fifth.
Tigers starter Drew VerHagen, making only his second career start and first since 2014, pitched five solid innings but was victimized twice by Adam Jones.
NOTABLE
Justin Upton has now homered in three consecutive games and five of his last seven. His two-run shot to left field in the first inning came on an 0-2 pitch. The last time he hit home runs in three consecutive games was in 2014 when he played for the Atlanta Braves, and it was his fifth in the last seven.
Justin Upton joins select group of Tigers:
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5+ Homers 16+ RBI in 7 game span Tigers since 1969.
Of the eight home runs VerHagen has allowed in parts of four seasons in the big leagues, two have come courtesy of the Orioles' Adam Jones.
Jones homered off of VerHagen in 2016 and did so again Saturday night, sending a no-doubter to left field in the fifth inning.
https://www.mlb.com/gameday/tigers-...741#game_state=final,game_tab=box,game=491741
Boxscore.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Beckham makes history: After marking the 2,500th home run hit at Camden Yards on Thursday, Beckham made Orioles history again Saturday night. His Statcast-projected 422-foot solo homer in the eighth marked the 10,000th regular-season home run hit in club history. Acquired from the Rays at the non-waiver Trade Deadline, Beckham has three home runs, five RBIs and is hitting a scorching 13-for-20 (.650) in five games with Baltimore.
Britton called upon early: In the eighth inning, O's reliever Brad Brach allowed a single to Miguel Cabrera, who was able to advance to second on an error by Trey Mancini in left field. With two outs and a runner on second in a one-run game, Baltimore turned to its reliable closer a little earlier than usual. Zach Britton forced Mikie Mahtook -- who already had two hits on the night -- to serve a soft grounder back to the mound for the easy out at first, leading Britton to his first four-out save of the season.