J.D. Martinez gives his dad a Father's Day to remember in Tigers' 12-4 victory
J.D. Martinez gave his dad a Father's Day present he won't soon forget.
During the game, FOX Sports Detroit analyst Rod Allen said all dads deserved at least a couple of gifts on Father's Day.
Martinez decided to take that one step further, hitting three home runs in the Tigers' 12-4 victory over the New York Yankees Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.
It helped push the Tigers back above .500 at 35-34 and push away the memory of two bitter defeats, 7-2 on Friday and 14-3 on Saturday.
It also helped make up for the fact that Martinez couldn't celebrate the holiday with his father, Julio, who was at home in Miami.
"He's probably going crazy at home," Martinez told FOX Sports Detroit's Trevor Thompson on the field after the game. "I can only imagine. He texted me before the game, he goes, 'Why don't you hit No. 14 today for me for Father's Day.'"
Martinez hit No. 14, 15 and 16, joining the Los Angeles Dodgers' Adrian Gonzalez, the Washington Nationals' Bryce Harper and the Cincinnati Reds' Joey Votto as the only players to hit three home runs in one game this season.
"He's just resurrected his career," FOX Sports Detroit analyst Craig Monroe said. "Early on he struggled, pulling off the baseball, not really putting together a solid season up 'til last year. J.D. made some adjustments and man, they are paying high dividends right now.
"In Yankee Stadium, he put on a show. He hit bombs to right, upper deck, booms to center, bombs to left."
The last time a Detroit Tiger hit three home runs against the Yankees was when Charlie Maxwell did it on May 3, 1959, at Briggs Stadium.
The only other time a Tiger hit three home runs at Yankee Stadium was when Pat Mullin did so on June 26, 1949.
"He had a big day, he really did," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus told Thompson. "None of them were cheap. I would also throw Victor into that. It was good to see Victor turn on a couple balls from the left side, he got down the line pretty good on that one fielder's choice. Between J.D. and Victor, those were probably the two biggest highlights for me."
Victor Martinez hit a two-run home run of his own and had a two-run single.
"Professional hitter from both sides of the plate and today it was from the left side," Monroe said. "He struggled early with the knee issue, wasn't able to use the back side, had to go get healthy. Look at the back side, how he gets through it. he goes upper tank at Yankee Stadium."
The day belonged to J.D. Martinez, however, and to his dad.
"He's been my No. 1 supporter, my No. 1 fan," Martinez said. "He doesn't miss a game. He's always been there for me when I was a kid. Took me to every practice. Even then when I had games, he would rarely, rarely miss them. He was just my No. 1 supporter ever since I was a kid.
"I know I definitely wouldn't be here without him and without his support and his encouragement every day. I look at him more as my best friend than my father. The relationship we have now, I wouldn't trade it for anyone."
