BALTIMORE _ The game was in the balance throughout, with the Detroit Tigers hitting one solo home run and the Baltimore Orioles hitting two, but never more so than in the bottom of the seventh inning.
There was one out and with runners on second and third base, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus played the infield in. Ace right-hander Justin Verlander had crossed the 100-pitch mark and stared down Caleb Joseph. In a no ball, two strikes count, the game changed.
Verlander came up and in with an upper-90-mph fastball, hitting Joseph on the hand and then off the bat. 100 feet away, first base umpire Jeff Nelson ruled it a swinging strikeout. Verlander retired the next man to end the inning.
After two singles and a walk in the top of the eighth, Justin Upton launched his third grand slam of the season and the Tigers won their fourth straight game, beating the Orioles, 5-2, Friday at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Upton's blast, a no-doubter, was his 20th home run of the season. It made a winner of Verlander, who was outstanding once again. He made three mistakes: Two ended up as solo home runs _ Tim Beckham in the second inning and Manny Machado in the third inning _ and the final fell a foot or so shy of clearing the rightfield fence, resulting in a double before the sticky situation in the seventh.
Having cleared revocable trade waivers earlier in the day, Verlander recorded his third double-digit strikeout game of the season with 10. He threw seven strong innings, allowing two runs on six hits. He walked none.
James McCann began the eighth inning rally with a bloop single to right field, extending a career-long hitting streak to 14 games. Jose Iglesias followed with a single. Ian Kinsler hit a squibber back to the pitcher, moving the runners up and Jim Adduci walked before Upton took Mychal Givens deep.
On the home run, Upton tied Dodgers outfielder Chris Taylor for the most grand slams in the major leagues this season.
Adduci opened the scoring with a solo home run off righty Kevin Gausman in the first inning. It was an opposite-field shot and Adduci's first home run this season.
With closer Shane Greene having pitched each of the last three days, righty Bruce Rondon had the ninth inning assignment. He picked up his first save of the season.
The Tigers have won six out of their past eight games. They stand 5{ games out of the American League's second wild-card spot.
