Kluber’s mound opponent

The Detroit Tigers blew a three-run lead in the eighth inning and eventually lost on a home run in the ninth. Still Youth Chad Thomas Jersey , this was a day Jose Iglesias and Leonys Martin may look back on fondly for years.

Before Monday’s game against Oakland, the Tigers hosted a ceremony on the field in which a group of people were sworn in as American citizens. Iglesias and Martin, both natives of Cuba, were among them.

”I will never forget about my country, but it’s amazing to be part of United States,” said Martin, a 30-year-old outfielder. ”Being able to do it here in the ballpark, right in front of the fans, that was really emotional.”

Martin played for Cuba in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. After defecting, he received a $15.5 million, five-year contract with the Texas Rangers in 2011. This is his first season with the Tigers.

Iglesias, a 28-year-old shortstop, made his big league debut in 2011 with the Boston Red Sox. He was traded to the Tigers in 2013, and he can look back now at the daunting process of getting used to a new country.

”It’s hard, man. You came. You face a new culture, face a new language, facing new food, new everything,” Iglesias said before the game. ”Still learning. I’ve been here for 10 years, and I’m still learning.”

Iglesias and Martin had their ceremony at a time when a national debate over President Donald Trump’s immigration policy has been dominating the news. Iglesias wasn’t about to wade into that.

”I don’t really have a comment on that. I try to stay away from that,” Iglesias said. ”If there’s anything I can do to help a human being in the end of the day, I will do it, but I try to stay away from politics.”

Manager Ron Gardenhire was excited about the ceremony.

”It’s really cool. These guys are really proud of that. I’m just hoping they can get to Canada,” he said. ”They’ve lost their visas and green cards now once they’ve taken this citizenship, so they have to get a passport so they can go with us to Canada here in a few days.”

The Tigers play a four-game series at Toronto starting Friday night.

For a brief moment, it appeared Monday’s game against the Athletics might unfold in storybook fashion – with Martin driving in Iglesias with the winning run. The score was tied at 1 in the seventh inning, and Martin hit a drive to center. Iglesias raced around from first, but he had to stop at third when the ball bounced over the wall for a double. He was thrown out at home when the next batter hit a grounder.

Nicholas Castellanos hit a three-run homer later that inning for Detroit, but Oakland rallied in the eighth and eventually won 5-4.

No matter. This was still a special day for Iglesias and Martin.

”It’s amazing,” Iglesias said. ”Become an American citizen on a ballpark, and with full uniform and everything. It’s a blessing.”

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Two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber will go into his start Monday night in Kansas City in an unfamiliar position: in a slump.

In his first 14 starts this year, Kluber was 10-2 with a 1.99 ERA. But in his last three starts, Kluber is 1-2 with a 6.59 ERA.

Nevertheless Customized Buffalo Bills Jerseys , the slumping Kluber will be on the mound Monday night for the Cleveland Indians, who, not coincidentally, are slumping as a team.

Although they walloped Oakland 15-3 on Sunday, the Indians have lost four of the first six games on their nine-game trip that will conclude with three games in Kansas City.

Kluber, who is 10-6 with a 2.82 ERA in 21 career starts against the Royals, will try to get back on track against one of his favorite opponents.

Kluber’s three-start slump is actually two really bad ones sandwiched around a really good one. It started June 15 with a 10-3 loss to Minnesota in which Kluber gave up four runs in five innings.

However, Kluber’s next start, on June 20, was a 12-0 win over the Chicago White Sox in which he pitched seven scoreless innings and gave up one hit.

But on June 26 in St. Louis, Kluber had his worst start of the year, his worst in several years. In an 11-4 loss to the Cardinals, Kluber was removed from the game after giving up six runs in 1 2/3 innings.

“He’s human. Guys don’t go 35 starts (during the season) without a bump in the road,” Indians manager Terry Francona said.

Kluber said, “No excuses. I just didn’t get the job done. I had some things going on delivery-wise and didn’t execute my pitches consistently.”

Although the Indians have a comfortable nine-game lead in the American League Central, they have had trouble winning on the road.

Cleveland is 27-13 at home but just 18-24 on the road, the only division leader in the majors with a losing record on the road. The Indians are hoping Kluber can help shake his slump and get a road win Monday.

Kluber is 11-4 with a 2.54 ERA overall this season. One of those wins came against the Royals on May 13, a 6-2 Cleveland victory in which Kluber pitched seven innings without allowing an earned run.

The Indians bolstered their bullpen Sunday by selecting left-hander Marc Rzepczynski from Triple-A Columbus and optioning starter Adam Plutko to Columbus.

Kluber’s mound opponent Monday night, Royals right-hander Jakob Junis (5-9, 4.67), is also mired in a slump.

Junis hasn’t won a game since May 18. In seven starts since then, he is 0-6 with a 6.30 ERA. His last start came June 26, a 5-1 loss to Milwaukee. In that game, Junis pitched five innings, giving up four runs and seven hits with seven strikeouts and three walks.

Junis’ last start against Cleveland came May 13. In a 6-2 loss to the Indians, he pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs and six hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.

In three career appearances against Cleveland, Junis is 0-1 with a 5.93 ERA.

The Royals, who have lost three in a row, were glad to see the calendar change to July. They went 5-21 in June, the worst record in June in the team’s 50-year history.