DETROIT (AP) – Justin Upton had four hits, including a first-inning home run off a camera well above center field, and the Detroit Tigers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-2 Tuesday.
Upton entered batting .227 with 10 strikeouts in 22 at-bats, then raised his average to .333 with the 11th game of four hits or more in his big league career. According to MLB’s Statcast system, the home run would have gone 451 feet had it landed unimpeded.
J.D. Martinez had his second career four-hit game, and Ian Kinsler homered.
Anibal Sanchez (2-0) gave up two runs, four hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings, improving to 3-5 in eight starts against the Pirates.
Juan Nicasio (1-1) allowed four runs and six hits in three innings, matching his big league career high with five walks. He needed 94 pitches to get nine outs.
Upton homered on Nicasio’s fourth pitch, Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez walked, and J.D. Martinez singled for a 2-0 lead.
After Starling Marte cut the deficit to 4-2 with a two-run homer in the sixth, Detroit opened a five-run lead in the bottom half when Victor Martinez hit a two-run double off former teammate Kyle Lobstein and then scored on J.D. Martinez’s double.
TOUGH EMPLOYEE
Detroit’s in-game hostess, Heather Park, was hit in the chest by a wild throw in the second inning. She received medical attention for several minutes, but bounced back to do an interview with a fan at inning’s end.
“The ball hit me right on the sternum, and that’s just bone,” she said. “It hurts, but I’m OK.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: Pirates: Francisco Liriano was scratched from his scheduled start Wednesday with right hamstring discomfort. The team says he is day to day. Ryan Vogelsong will start in his place. … INF Jung Ho Kang remains in extended spring training, batting in games, but not running the bases unless he homers.
Tigers: Detroit placed C James McCann on the 15-day DL list with a sprained right ankle. McCann rolled his ankle on the edge of first base Monday while trying to avoid a collision with John Jaso. Detroit selected the contract of C Bobby Wilson from Triple-A Toledo. Wilson, acquired in a March deal for C Bryan Holaday, hit .189 in 56 games for Tampa Bay and Texas last season. The 33-year-old has a .204 career average over parts of seven seasons.
UP NEXT
The teams resume their four-game home-and-home series tonight at PNC Park with Vogelsong (1-0, 4.50 ERA) filling in for Liriano. Shane Greene is to make his first start of the season for the Tigers; he got his first major league save in the 11-inning opener at Miami.
