Upton delivers late to help Tigers top Giants

DETROIT -- The Tigers provided timely run support for Michael Fulmer, helping him and Detroit to a much-needed win. Justin Upton's two-run single in the seventh inning nullified a Giants rally in the top of the inning and pulled the Tigers ahead for good in a 5-3 victory Tuesday at Comerica Park.
Fulmer (8-6) was slamming his glove after Brandon Crawford's two-run homer barely cleared the right-field wall -- a call that was confirmed after a crew-chief review -- to tie the game in the seventh. But Upton, who returned to the Tigers lineup after missing games Saturday and Sunday with right side soreness, put him back on top, sending a two-out line drive into short left field to score Mikie Mahtook and José Iglesias.
"Even when they kind of took the air out of the crowd and gained momentum, we came back and still stayed on the pitcher and were able to grind out two more runs," Upton said.

Fulmer, who fell an out shy of a shutout in his previous start and suffered three shutout losses over his past seven outings, lasted eight innings, holding the Giants to five hits and a walk while striking out five. Upton had three hits -- all line drives to left -- and a walk, scoring once and plating two runs.

Giants starter Matt Cain lost his seventh straight decision. He hasn't won since May 15 against the Dodgers. He's now winless in all six road decisions this season, too. The loss snapped San Francisco's six-game winning streak, which had been a season high.
"That was a tough one today," Cain said. "For definitely the whole [team], especially the way we've been playing. But you know what, the guys did a good job battling back."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Pence opens scoring: Fulmer hadn't given up a home run since April 29, but he paid for falling behind his first three batters in his first inning as he worked to find his fastball command. Hunter Pence saw three fastballs, the first two out of the zone, before sending the third out to right-center field for his sixth home run of the season.
• Craw power: SS, Giants making hard contact
Upton converts rally: The Tigers opened their seventh with back-to-back singles off Cain, but the rally was on the verge of fizzling out after Iglesias' sacrifice bunt attempt went back to Cain for the forceout at third base. Alex Avila's two-out infield single against the shift extended the inning and loaded the bases for Upton, who hit a 2-0 pitch off George Kontos. Upton was a .250 hitter against the Giants from his National League days, including six seasons with the D-backs.

QUOTABLE
"I'd love to see him get rolling. He's a very dangerous hitter when he's rolling." -- Tigers manager Brad Ausmus, on Victor Martinez, who went 2-for-4 with his first home run since May 31

"It's definitely fun to be able to come back and pitch here from 2012 to now. It definitely brings back the memories, and it was definitely a little warmer today than it was then, for sure. But yeah, you don't get rid of those memories." -- Cain, on returning to pitch at Comerica Park for the first time since Game 4 of the 2012 World Series, when the Giants secured the sweep
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Pence's home run ended a streak of 73 2/3 homerless innings from Fulmer, which had been the longest active streak in the Majors. He gave up two home runs in a game for the first time since Aug. 19 last year, when David Ortiz and Jackie Bradley Jr. homered off him for the Red Sox at Comerica Park.
INJURY REPORT
Miguel Cabrera left the game after six innings with left hip tightness, a recurrence of a previous injury. Cabrera and Ausmus said he felt the tightness before the game, and it worsened as the game went on before he was removed as a precaution. Cabrera hopes to play Wednesday. Andrew Romine replaced him at first base.

WHAT'S NEXT
Giants: Left-hander Ty Blach (5-5, 4.60 ERA) starts against the Tigers for the first time in his career on Wednesday at 4:10 p.m. PT on MLB.TV. He allowed at least seven hits in each of his six June starts.
Tigers:Daniel Norris (4-6, 5.00 ERA) tries to close out his first half on a positive note when he takes the mound against the Giants in a 7:10 p.m. ET start on MLB.TV. Norris gave up five runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings against the Royals last Wednesday.
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