Detroit — Start with the lineup card.
Victor Martinez was hitting fourth — his customary spot for most of his seven seasons with the Tigers. No surprise there. But the No. 3 next to his name was different. Martinez was starting at first base, where he hadn’t played since 2016.
“He said, ‘Skip, I’d like to play first base to start the game,’” manager Ron Gardenhire said. “I told him, ‘It’s your day. You want to play over there, you got it.’”
It was indeed Victor Martinez’s day Saturday. He had announced on Friday that this would be the day he’d take the final at-bat of his distinguished 16-year career.