BOSTON -- Facing the Tigers for the first time since he was traded last July, J.D. Martinez greeted his former mates with a towering two-run shot to left-center that gave the slugger an MLB-leading 20 for the season.
After hitting the dirt on a high-and-tight offering by Artie Lewicki in the first pitch of the at-bat, Martinez smashed a 3-2 fastball off a light stanchion above the Green Monster to give the Red Sox a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
With his latest homer, Martinez passed Mike Trout for sole possession of the MLB lead.