KANSAS CITY, Mo. — This one would've left a mark. The Tigers had leads of 3-0 and 5-3. They had base runners in every inning but one. They drew eight walks and had 11 hits. And yet, against a Kansas City Royals team that was 20 games under .500, the game was tied 5-5 after nine innings.
Javier Báez made sure it was a happy clubhouse. With the bases loaded in the 10th inning, he lined a first-pitch fastball from reliever Scott Barlow over the head of left fielder Nick Pratto, clearing the bases and sending the Tigers to an 8-5 win at Kauffman Stadium.
The ball left Báez's bat with an exit velocity of 111 mph. It was Báez's third hit of the game and the first two hits had a combined exit velocity of 111 mph. Neither of the first two hits left the infield.
