DETROIT _ This one cleared the fence.
It went high into a breeze blowing out to left field and like Saturday night, Justin Upton didn't miss the baseball. He dropped his bat and watched it fly.
And when it did, the Detroit Tigers officially busted out of a bad slump.
Upton's three-run home run in the third inning broke open Sunday afternoon's series finale against the Boston Red Sox and another three-run home run in the fifth inning buried them as the Tigers split a crucial series, 10-5, at Comerica Park.
After missing a game-tying home run by mere inches Saturday night, doubling off the top of the wall in center field, Upton did not miss on either of his two home runs, which both traveled more than 400 feet.
When Upton took his place in left field after his second home run, he received a standing ovation in left field.
It was his 12th career multi-home run game. His six RBIs tied a career-high. And it helped end a bad homestand on a good note, providing once again a pinch of the potential this Tigers team has should they get Upton going.
Upton's big blasts made an easy winner out of right-handed ace Justin Verlander, who cruised through six innings, allowing one run on three hits. Verlander struck out five and walked one with unusual run support. The only blemish on Verlander's day was a sacrifice fly by Dustin Pedroia in the sixth inning.
Verlander is 13-7 this season with a 3.38 ERA.
The Tigers jumped on Red Sox spot starter Henry Owens with five runs in the third inning despite the lefty nearly dancing out of a two-on, nobody out jam. In the third, Jarrod Saltalamacchia led off with a walk, followed by an Erick Aybar double. After Ian Kinsler flew out and Cameron Maybin struck out, Red Sox manager John Farrell elected to walk Cabrera to load the bases for J.D. Martinez.
Martinez, who has been the team's hottest hitter this month, doubled softly off the end of his bat inside the first base line. Then, Upton hit the first of his two home runs.
In his first game since getting activated off the 15-day disabled list with a Grade 2 left thumb sprain, Maybin went 1-for-4 with a two-run single in the sixth inning. He was replaced by Tyler Collins after the inning.
Shane Greene scuffled in an inning of relief work, allowing four runs on four hits, including a two-run home run to Red Sox rookie Andrew Benintendi. For Benintendi, it was his first career home run.
In what could have been his final game in Detroit, Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz went 1-for-4 with a strikeout. He received a standing ovation during his final at-bat in the eighth inning and tipped his helmet to the crowd after grounding out to third base in short right field.
With the win, the Tigers split the series with the Red Sox and finish the homestand 2-5. They stand seven games behind the Indians in the American League Central division and 3 { games out of the league's wild-card spot.
