PHOENIX — Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Báez stepped out of the batter's box, flipped his bat and turned toward the on-deck circle. He pointed to designated hitter Miguel Cabrera and shouted. Amid the intense interaction, the ball cleared the wall in left-center field for a grand slam.
Báez, signed to a six-year, $140 million contract this past offseason, is riding an eight-game hitting streak and a three-game home run streak. He singlehandedly propelled the Tigers to a 5-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Friday's series opener at Chase Field.
Finally, Báez is clicking.
The grand slam traveled 459 feet, the longest home run by a Tiger this season and the team's longest since Jeimer Candelario hit a 467-foot homer in July 2019.