DETROIT (AP) - Shane Greene breezed through the ninth inning to wrap up a much-needed win for the Detroit Tigers.
Actually, the Tigers were probably relieved just to play a game amid the miserable weather that’s been wreaking havoc with their schedule.
“You’re talking to a Florida boy, so I’m not built for this,” Greene said. “But I’m doing everything I can to be ready to go on a daily basis.”
The temperature was in the mid-30s by game’s end, and the Tigers beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-2 on Tuesday night, snapping a five-game losing streak. It was Detroit’s first game since Friday. The Tigers had home games postponed Saturday and Sunday against the New York Yankees, and Baltimore was postponed Monday at Boston.
Victor Martinez homered for the first time since August for Detroit, hitting a two-run shot in the second. Jeimer Candelario hit a tiebreaking triple in the fifth, and Francisco Liriano (2-1) allowed two runs and five hits in five innings. He struck out seven and walked three.
Baltimore managed only one hit off four Detroit relievers. Greene pitched a perfect ninth for his third save.
Trey Mancini hit a solo homer for the Orioles, who lost their fourth straight. Andrew Cashner (1-2) allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings.
“We’ve had a lot of great starts, but we haven’t been able to cash them in,” Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said. “We just aren’t hitting very well. The pitching has been great, but it is frustrating that we aren’t getting anything out of it.”
Miguel Cabrera went 0 for 2 with two walks before leaving the game with back tightness. Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said the slugger was a bit stiff, and Gardenhire didn’t want him to keep playing in the cold weather.
Martinez hadn’t homered since Aug. 18. A heart problem cut his 2017 season short about a month early, and at 39, he’s in the final season of his contract. His opposite-field drive to left-center gave Detroit a 2-0 lead.
“He’s still one of the best hitters in the league, and I know that you can’t throw anything up and outside,” Cashner said. “I was trying to stay in, but it got out and he got it up into the wind.”
Mancini answered the following inning with his second homer of the year, and the Orioles tied it on an RBI single by Adam Jones in the fifth.
In the bottom of the fifth, however, Leonys Martin reached on a bunt single with one out, and Candelario followed with a triple to right-center.
Detroit added a run in the eighth on a wild pitch by Mychal Givens.
TRANSACTION
The Orioles purchased the contract of infielder Luis Sardinas from Triple-A Norfolk. He started at second base and went 0 for 3 with a walk.
ANXIOUS MOMENT
Detroit left fielder Niko Goodrum got turned around before making a tough catch in front of the fence in the fourth. Gardenhire was asked afterward about Goodrum’s athleticism on the play.
“It was great athleticism, as you put it - 360s, just the way we teach it,” Gardenhire joked. “Jog a little bit, then speed up a little bit, then spin and catch it. Perfect.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Tigers: Pitching coach Chris Bosio, who was expected to miss a couple weeks because of an undisclosed health issue , was back after about a week. “He told me he can’t take it,” Gardenhire said. “He called me up a couple of days ago and said, ’I’m coming back Tuesday.’”
UP NEXT
The Tigers moved Wednesday’s game from 6:40 to 1:10 p.m. in anticipation of bad weather. Detroit LHP Matthew Boyd (0-1) starts against Baltimore RHP Kevin Gausman (1-1).
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