DETROIT _ Victor Martinez is not slumping anymore.
He has been struggling as of late, not hitting for power, not hitting much of anything. It had been 14 games since he socked a home run. Eleven since he recorded an extra-base hit.
He is not 100 percent. Before Friday night's series opener against the Baltimore Orioles, he did not take batting practice.
But Martinez stepped to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning in a tie game and gave the Detroit Tigers yet another late-innings shot in the arm.
His solo home run to right-center field gave them a 4-3 win to draw first blood in a pivotal early-September series against the Orioles, their chief competition in a crowded American League wild-card race.
With the win, the Tigers moved into a tie for that second spot.
Martinez's home run, his 24th of the season, came off right-hander Brad Brach and erased another blown save by the bullpen, which have come too often as of late.
Up a run heading into the eighth, with Alex Wilson serving as set-up man, the Orioles tied the game on a double by Hyun Soo Kim and single by Adam Jones.
It took rookie righty Michael Fulmer out of the win column. Fulmer threw another outstanding outing.
There was one blip, a two-run home run by Jonathan Schoop in the sixth inning to pull the Orioles within one, but smooth sailing otherwise.
Fulmer recorded his sixth start this season of at least six innings and three or fewer hits, and walked off the mound after seven innings as the AL ERA leader, at 2.76.
Fulmer struck out five and walked one.
The Tigers scored once but squandered more opportunities against Orioles right-hander Kevin Gausman early.
In the second inning, Erick Aybar doubled with two outs to open the scoring.
But in the third inning, they put the first two men on base, leaving with nothing.
Ian Kinsler and Cameron Maybin singled, before Miguel Cabrera struck out and Martinez flew out to right field. Attempting to score from third base was Kinsler, who was thrown out by Orioles right fielder Mark Trumbo.
Two innings later, the same scene unfolded.
The first two men, Jose Iglesias and Kinsler, on.
Then Maybin struck out swinging, Cabrera was intentionally walked and Martinez struck out swinging before J.D. Martinez came to the plate against Gausman.
On a 2-1 slider, J.D. Martinez bit. But first base umpire Andy Fletcher did not call him on the check swing. Orioles manager Buck Showalter shook his head. In a favorable hitter's count, J.D. Martinez did not allow Gausman to wiggle out of another jam, smashing a two-run single up the middle to give the Tigers the lead.
The bullpen would not hold that lead, but closer Francisco Rodriguez held the one that mattered, after the Victor Martinez home run, picking up his 40th save of the season and an important series-opening win.
