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DETROIT – Jeimer Candelario left the Cardinals of St. Louis with a sinking feeling.
Candelario hooked up on a 102 mph thrower from Jordan Hicks, a Cardinals reliever, who hit a two-run homer Friday night, allowing the Detroit Tigers to win 5-3.
"There are guys throwing a 100 mph fastball – you can see it coming and you can time," said James McCann, receiver of the Tigers. "Hicks throws a difficult 103. He's just above you and it's moving. It's hard to make contact, and he threw it away.
Hicks, who faced his sixth batter, gave most of the loan to Candelario.
"I was keen and I was trying to hit the strike zone," he said. "He just has some good wood on it and the ball has left the yard. I can not cry an error. I just have to get better.
The presence of his family has made Candelario's second end-of-game circuit more special.
Jeimer Candelario of the Detroit Tigers celebrates a two-point run with third coach Dave Clark (25) in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals in Detroit on Friday, September 7 2018. Detroit won 5-3. (Paul Sancya / Associated Press)
"It's an explosion," he said in a television interview. "To do this, not just in front of the fans, but in front of my family."
Marcell Ozuna traded twice for St. Louis, who lost four of six. The Cardinals hold a slim lead for second place in NL's wild card.
"I'm trying to be more aggressive," Ozuna said. "When my shoulder ached, I could not stay inside, but now I feel better and I can hit that ground."
The Tigers won their third consecutive game.
"It's a lot of fun," said manager Ron Gardenhire. "These guys are in a pennant race and we are not, but we made progress and got a win. These are the moments you like. "
Hicks (3-4) dropped the first five batters he faced, but rookie Victor Reyes hit a 102-mph fast-paced ball with one in the ninth, and Candelario hit his 18th homer next throw.
"Candy continues to learn at this level, but he's a strong young man," Gardenhire said. "He has difficult to-bats, but he can do it too."
Detroit striker Shane Greene (3-6) finished ninth without a goal.
Tiger runner Daniel Norris allowed three runs on four hits and a five-run run. He wrote off seven and abandoned the two Ozuna circuits.
"I learned not to throw him a quick ball on the plate," he said.
Norris made her second start after missing four months of groin surgery and started at home for the first time since April 20th.
"It was great to be in front of our fans, to wear our white shirts and to feel healthy," he said. "The road has been long."
Cardinals starter Austin Gomber conceded three runs on six hits and three goals in six innings and six more.
Ozuna led the second with a home run, much to the delight of the Cardinals fans. The Tigers finished first in the Dawn Lugo RBI round.
Ozuna joined his 20th circuit to start the fourth. He also hit two home runs against Washington on Tuesday.
The Cardinals took a 3-1 lead in the fifth inning when Kolten Wong doubled, took third place when Norris hesitated and scored on Francisco Pena's sacrifice stroke.
Gomber pulled out the first two batters in the bottom half, but Reyes beat a single and the Tigers charged the basics on Candelario's base shot and Goodrum's walk. Nicholas Castellanos lined up a mere two points.
ROOM OF TRAINERS
Cardinals: C Yadier Molina should miss the three-game series in Detroit with a thigh injury.
REYES KEEPS IMPROVE
Reyes, a choice of Rule 5 that had never played over the Double-A ball before this season, was hitting .118 with no extra goals or goals after the first 25 games of his career. Since then, playing more regularly, he has beaten at .261 in 60 games and made his first career tour last week in New York.
"Once I gave him a chance, he worked hard to become a major player, and we expect him to stay here next year," Gardenhire said.
WEEK-END REACTION
The Tigers celebrate the 50th anniversary of their victory in the 1968 World Series against the Cardinals during the weekend series. Five players from the 1968 team played their first shots on Friday and a ceremony will take place before Saturday's game.
FOLLOWING
The teams continue the series Saturday night. Matthew Boyd (9-12, 4.24) will leave for the Tigers against Jack Flaherty (8-6, 2.83).
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, disseminated, rewritten or redistributed.
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