Tigers Rookie Isaac Paredes Gives Detroit Lead with Grand Slam
Tigers' recent call-up, Isaac Paredes, in his fifth major league game, found himself in a big situation. Bases loaded, one out, and down 5-3 against the Cleveland Indians, the AL Central foes who currently hold a 20-game win streak over the Tigers.
With two strikes the 21-year-old smoked a 91 mph fastball into the left-field seats, propelling Detroit to a 7-5 lead. Even in the minors, Paredes displayed the power and pitch selection of a well-seasoned vet.
Isaac Paredes' first career home run is GRAND‼️#DetroitRoots pic.twitter.com/WlZLIFhiev
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) August 22, 2020
In a Tigers season full of debuts, Paredes sure takes the cake. He's the first Tiger to hit a grand slam as their first career home run since Brennan Boesch, who did so on April 30, 2010. Paredes is also the second youngest Tiger to hit a homer since Cameron Maybin, who did so at 20 years old in 2007 off Roger Clemens.
Paredes confirmed his clutch gene on Monday during his debut when he scored veterans Miguel Cabrera and Jonathan Schoop off his first big league hit. That single allowed the Tigers to trail the White Sox 3-2.
The Detroit Tigers came into this game with a dark cloud looming over their heads, the infamous consecutive 20-game losing streak gifted to them by Cleveland. If the Tribe were to sweep the Tigers in this series, they would tie the MLB standing record for most continuous wins against a single franchise. This record currently belongs to the Orioles, who held a 23-game winning streak against the Royals from '69-'70.
The Detroit Tigers are currently on a nine-game losing streak.
