Talk » Jeimer Candelario left the St. Louis Cardinals

DETROIT (AP) —with a sinking feeling.Candelario connected on a 102 mph sinker from Cardinals reliever Jordan Hicks Jose Altuve Jersey , hitting a two-run homer in the ninth inning Friday night that gave the Detroit Tigers a 5-3 victory.“There are guys who throw a soft 100 mph fastball — you can see it coming and you can time it,” Tigers catcher James McCann said. “Hicks is throwing a hard 103. It is right on top of you, and it moves. It’s tough to make contact, and he barreled it up.”Hicks, who was facing his sixth batter, gave Candelario most of the credit.“I was sharp and I was trying to pound the strike zone,” he said. “He just got good wood on it and the ball left the yard. I can’t mourn a mistake. I just have to get better.”Candelario’s second career game-ending homer was made more special by the presence of his family.“This is a blast,” he said in a postgame television interview. “To do this, not just in front of the fans, but in front of my family.”Marcell Ozuna homered twice for St. Louis, which has lost four of six. The Cardinals hold a slim lead for the second NL wild-card spot.“I’m trying to be more aggressive,” Ozuna said. “When my shoulder was hurting, I couldn’t stay inside, but now I feel better and I can hit that pitch.”The Tigers won their third in a row.“That’s a lot of fun http://www.astrosfanproshop.com/authentic-justin-verlander-jersey ,” manager Ron Gardenhire said. “Those guys are in a pennant race and we’re not, but we stepped up and got a victory. Those are the moments you enjoy.”Hicks (3-4) retired the first five batters he faced, but rookie Victor Reyes slapped a 102 mph fastball to left with one out in the ninth, and Candelario hit his 18th homer on the next pitch.“Candy is still learning at this level, but he’s a strong young man,” Gardenhire said. “He has some tough at-bats, but he can also do that.”Detroit closer Shane Greene (3-6) worked a scoreless ninth.Tigers starter Daniel Norris allowed three runs on four hits and a walk in five innings. He struck out seven and gave up both of Ozuna’s homers.“I learned not to throw him a fastball over the plate,” he said.Norris was making his second start after missing four months with groin surgery and was starting at home for the first time since April 20.“It was great to be out there in front of our fans, wearing our white jerseys and feeling healthy,” he said. “It’s been a long road back.”Cardinals starter Austin Gomber gave up three runs on six hits and three walks in six-plus innings, striking out six.Ozuna led off the second with a home run, much to the delight of the large contingent of Cardinals fans. The Tigers made it 1-all in the bottom of the inning on Dawel Lugo’s RBI groundout.Ozuna connected for his 20th homer to begin the fourth. He also hit two home runs against Washington on Tuesday.The Cardinals took a 3-1 lead in the fifth when Kolten Wong doubled, took third when Norris balked and scored on Francisco Pena’s sacrifice fly.Gomber retired the first two batters in the bottom half, but Reyes beat out a bunt single and the Tigers loaded the bases on Candelario’s base hit and Goodrum’s walk. Nicholas Castellanos lined a tying George Springer Jersey , two-run single.TRAINER’S ROOMCardinals: C Yadier Molina is expected to miss the three-game series in Detroit with a hamstring injury.REYES KEEPS IMPROVINGReyes, a Rule 5 pick who had never played above Double-A ball before this season, was hitting .118 with no walks or extra-base hits after the first 25 games of his career. Since then, playing more regularly, he is batting .261 in 60 games and hit his first career homer last week in New York.“Once I gave him a chance, he’s worked hard to become a major league player, and we expect him to stay here next year,” Gardenhire said.THROWBACK WEEKENDThe Tigers are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their 1968 World Series win over the Cardinals during the weekend series. Five players from the 1968 team threw out first pitches on Friday, and a ceremony will be held before Saturday’s game.UP NEXTThe teams continue the series Saturday night. Matthew Boyd (9-12, 4.24) will start for the Tigers against Jack Flaherty (8-6, 2.83). MIAMI (AP) — Sandy Alcantara had to settle for the longest outing of his career.Pretty nice way to start the season.Alcantara pitched eight crisp innings, Jorge Alfaro drove in two runs and the Miami Marlins beat the Colorado Rockies 3-0 on Sunday.Alcantara allowed four hits, struck out six and walked none in his 15th major league appearance. The 23-year-old right-hander retired 14 straight hitters before Ryan McMahon reached on a two-out infield single in the seventh.Alcantara, who threw 92 pitches Evan Gattis Jersey , wanted to stay in the game, but manager Don Mattingly decided to take him out.“I went out there inning after inning wanting to get the complete game but the manager didn’t and those are his decisions,” Alcantara told Spanish-speaking media.Mattingly said the timing of the season prompted his decision to lift the rookie from his seventh major league start.“As we get into the season, that’s a situation where he goes back out because he really didn’t have any true battles today,” Mattingly said. “We didn’t want to push him to nine out of the gate.“He was pretty much dominant the whole day.”Alcantara (1-0) also picked up his major league hit on a line-drive single to left in the fifth.The Rockies threatened in the ninth when former Miami starter Wei-Yin Chen surrendered a leadoff double to Charlie Blackmon and walked David Dahl. Chen, in the fourth year of an $80 million, five-year contract, left to a chorus of boos from the crowd of 7,559.Sergio Romo came in and retired three in a row for his first save with the Marlins, finishing a five-hitter.“If I can help out in any situation, I’m going to be ready for it,” Romo said. “You couldn’t waste Sandy’s effort. Holy cow that was impressive.”Colorado right-hander Jon Gray departed after he felt cramps in his right calf after a pitch to Alcantara with two out in the seventh. Gray (0-1) struck out 10 and was charged with three runs and five hits.“I tried to throw another pitch and felt the same thing so that’s when I called the trainer out and told him,” Gray said. “It’s frustrating for it to happen then. I don’t feel anything anymore; just going to give it some rest and work on it a little bit. I just want to make sure it stays away.”Alfaro hit a two-run single in the fourth and JT Riddle homered in the sixth. It was Riddle’s second of the season and No. 5 for the Marlins — all solo shots.“In a well-pitched game, one big hit will change dramatically the course of the game http://www.astrosfanproshop.com/authentic-justin-verlander-jersey ,” Rockies manager Bud Black said.Colorado star Nolan Arenado went 0 for 4, snapping his 12-game hitting streak that carried over from last season.WORTH NOTINGThe Rockies sent right-hander Rayan Gonzalez to Double-A Hartford. They currently have 38 players on their 40-man roster.WORTH NOTING IISunday’s attendance, added to the combined crowds of 14,145 Friday and Saturday, failed to surpass the opening-day total of 25,423.LEADING OFFThe Marlins used four different leadoff hitters in the series. Rosell Herrera was in the spot on Sunday, following Miguel Rojas, Curtis Granderson and Lewis Brinson in the previous three games.“Our leadoff guys will be mix and match,” Mattingly said. “We’ll see where it goes.”TRAINER’S ROOM:Rockies: 1B Daniel Murphy will see a hand specialist in Arizona on Monday for further evaluation of his fractured left index finger. Murphy got hurt in the Rockies’ 6-1 win over Miami on Friday. Murphy, who signed a two-year contract with the Rockies in the offseason, will be sidelined indefinitely.Marlins: OF Garrett Cooper was placed on the injured list because of a strained left calf. Cooper got hurt during Friday’s game and pinch-hit on Saturday. OF Peter O’Brien was recalled from Triple-A New Orleans. O’Brien started Sunday and went 0 for 3.UP NEXTRockies: RHP Chad Bettis pitches Monday against Tampa Bay.Marlins: LHP Caleb Smith will make his season debut when Miami faces the New York Mets on Monday. LHP Steven Matz starts for the Mets.