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Players make BLM statement, then it's bombs away in Tigers' exhibition loss

Cincinnati — Before a barrage of nine home run lit up the sky above Great American Ballpark Tuesday night, the Tigers and Reds paid homage to the Black Lives Matter protest against police brutality.

"We're united," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Our baseball team is united and baseball, in general, is united on what we're trying to do, to make a statement about what's been happening in this country."

Four Reds players, including Joey Votto, knelt during the playing of the national anthem. The Tigers took a different tack. More than half the team stayed in the dugout during the anthem.