DETROIT – Akil Baddoo did it again. Only this time, the ball traveled 450 feet, and the blast came against a potential Hall of Famer.
Baddoo came up in the top of the third inning and -- one pitch after Renato Nunez hit his first home run as a member of the Detroit Tigers -- the rookie made it back-to-back jacks.
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He took a Zack Greinke fastball right down the heart of the plate and smashed it just to the right of center field.
.@renato44nunez @AkilBaddoo
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) April 13, 2021
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Hitting homers pic.twitter.com/qxko3IaemP
According to Statcast data, the home run was hit at 109.3 mph and traveled 450 feet. It was his first of two barrels on the night. The other was a 101.6 mph double off of Luis Garcia in the top of the seventh.
In between those two at-bats, Baddoo scorched a liner to the right fielder for a sac fly. Overall, it was the best contact he’s made this season.
That’s saying something, considering he’s already hit two home runs, a triple and a walk-off single this season. Monday was the just the latest chapter in what’s been a magical story -- and it came when the Tigers really needed a lift.