First impressions of Red Sox' 10-5 loss to the Tigers

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First impressions of the Red Sox' 10-5 loss to Tigers in Detroit:

Henry Owens continues to tease Boston.

The lefty looked good through his first two innings, despite the two walks. He struck out five and didn't allow a ball in play.

But Owens once again relied too heavily on his change-up. He tends to use his change-up more like his fastball and his fastball more like an off-speed pitch.

That’s in large part because Owens can’t control his fastball, despite seldom breaking 90 mph with it.

Owens’ change-up is effective, which is why he tore through the lineup the first time through. But it’s called an off-speed pitch for a reason.

 
Intentionally walking Miguel Cabrera in the third inning wasn’t a bad decision.

As much as J.D. Martinez might be the hottest hitter in baseball, Cabrera is still the best pure hitter in baseball.

Owens had Martinez on the ropes, too, down 1-and-2. As much as Martinez’s hit was partially thanks to luck, it was equally due to Owens’ predictability with his change-up. Making it easier for Martinez to flick his bat at the ball and still do some damage.
 

Andrew Benintendi gets two milestone hits in the same game.

Benintendi struggled on the trip, batting .182 (4-for-22), but turned it around in Detroit, where he finished 5-for-17 in the four-game set.

He even scurried to get his first MLB triple, which happened to be his first career hit off former Cy Young Winner and MVP, Justin Verlander.

He also launched his first career home run. It came on a 3-2 cutter from Shane Greene on the seventh pitch of the at-bat.

It was a no-doubter, too. The first, but definitely not the last, of what looks to be a promising career.
 

Owens was exactly what the doctor ordered -- for Justin Upton.

The two had never faced-off prior to Sunday’s game.

While Owens got the better of him in the first at-bat by striking Upton out, he was on the losing end of the matchup by the end of the game.

Two home runs in the next two at bats -- one off the change-up, one off a fastball, both right down Broadway and both with their own area code.

The Tigers’ outfielder was hitting .130 (7-for-54) in August before Saturday night’s game, without one extra-base hit.

Upton nearly had a home run off Craig Kimbrel Saturday -- which wound up being a double -- then he left the yard twice against Owens Sunday, his first long balls since July 31.

A nice way to bust out of a slump.

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