CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Justin Upton took a while to hit his first home run in a Tigers uniform, but he made it a big one, hitting a tape-measure drive to the depths of Bright House Field to open the scoring in Saturday's Grapefruit League matchup against the Phillies.
Upton, signed in January to a six-year contract, entered Saturday batting 7-for-37 (.189) this spring with one extra-base hit, two RBIs, eight walks and 15 strikeouts. While his at-bats have steadily improved the last few weeks, he hasn't gotten the results, a trend which fits his reputation as a streaky hitter.