The Detroit Tigers kicked off their season today, facing off against the division rival Royals. Justin Verlander pitched against Kansas City's Gil Meche. There were two new Tigers in the line up, Miguel Cabrera and Edger Rentaria. Cabrera started off the game slow in the field, getting his first error this year. He didn't exactly hit the ground running in the box either, stranding three runners and going 0-2. Renteria on the other hand, drew a walk and drove home Carlos Guillen for the Tigers first run of 2008 for two of his first at bats. The regular suspects were producing in the motor city, with Guillen, Ordonez, Inge, and Rodriguez combining for six of the first seven hits. Meche walked home Rodriguez for the second run of the game by pitching four straight balls to Gary Sheffield after initially pitching two strikes. Magglio and Placido both had an at bat with the bases loaded in the fourth but failed to come through. By the midway point Meche had seven hits, four walks, and two earned runs. While in the other dugout Verlander had only one hit and four strikeouts. After Renteria and the usual Detroit star players produced as expected Cabrera got his first hit, run, home run, and RBI for the 2008 season and as a Tiger. Cabrera hammered one of Meche's pitches over the left field wall to put the Tigers ahead three to nothing.
Detroit seemed comfortable with Verlander giving up only one hit leading into the sixth inning. Alex Gordon drove one way back and out of there bringing around two runs and making this a one run ball game. Suddenly the Verlander and the Tigers were a little uneasier. The Tigers went three up three down in the bottom of the sixth and would move on to the seventh clinching on to a one run lead. Verlander walked Mark Teahen to start off the inning that was followed by Ross Gload's single that pushed Teahen to third. Verlander retired after striking out six with two earned runs, and a one run lead. Jason Grilli replaced Verlander and started out with John Buck getting a single and driving home Teahen and moving Gload to second, still no outs. The game was tied at three when Tony Pena Jr singled shifting Gload to third. Bobby Seay replaced Grilli with one out and runners on the corners. Gathright lined out to Renteria, which made it two outs, then Aquilino Lopez came in to replace Seay on the mound. Mark Grudzielanek drove home Ross Gload, the go ahead run. Alex Gordon flied out which ended a rough two-inning stretch for the Tigers. Meche retired with his team now clinching a one run lead, leaving the team's fate in the hands of Brett Tomko.
The Bottom of the seventh started out promising with Gary Sheffield drawing his third walk of the game. However, Magglio grounded into a double play. Miguel Cabrera followed him by striking out swinging and bringing Detroit into the eighth down by one. Tomko would stick around for the bottom half of the eighth and Guillen, the first man up, made him pay by slamming a ball and tying the game up at four.
Denny Bautista would stand on the mound for the additional innings. Bautista would walk the first Royal up, Teahen. Gload would sac bunt Teahen to second, one out. John Buck would come up next and send a ball soaring to Inge. Teahen would try and score but was called out at the plate while Buck posted up at second, two outs. In a déjà vu sort of way Pena Jr shot one right at Inge as well, only this time Buck would make it home and give the Royals a one run lead with a man on first. Gathright was walked which brought up Esteban German with a runner on first and second. Bautista struck out German to end the inning, but the damage was done. The Tigers would have to at least have one player cross the plate in order to keep playing. Joakim Soria stared down Clete Thomas to start the bottom of the eleventh. Thomas would lead off with a double that almost tied up the game falling in the warning track dirt and ricocheting off the wall. The tying run sitting at second, Brandon Inge stepped up and sac bunted Thomas to third. Edgar Renteria came up, not doing anything since he drove in the first run. He dug a hole starting out 0-2, he took two balls to even the count as the stadium became electrified. He swung for the fences but the breaking ball snuck by him. Placido Polanco would step into the batters box with two outs. Polanco drove a liner towards the gap but Alex Gordon made a diving stop and throws out Polanco ending the game and sealing an opening day victory over the Tigers for Kansas City.
Both Renteria and Cabrera went 1-5 with an RBI. Miguel had a throwing error and a homer in his debut in Detroit. Verlander, like the rest of the Tigers played well initially but failed to take advantage of big plays that could've pushed them ahead for good. Nunez got the win for KC and Bautista earned a loss. Both starting pitchers will be nursing an unusually high ERA for a stutter step at the start of this season. It was a hard fought loss for the Tigers and a narrow escape for the Royals. This season and baseball looks to send to MLB in a different direction than the course it has been set on for a few seasons now.
Detroit seemed comfortable with Verlander giving up only one hit leading into the sixth inning. Alex Gordon drove one way back and out of there bringing around two runs and making this a one run ball game. Suddenly the Verlander and the Tigers were a little uneasier. The Tigers went three up three down in the bottom of the sixth and would move on to the seventh clinching on to a one run lead. Verlander walked Mark Teahen to start off the inning that was followed by Ross Gload's single that pushed Teahen to third. Verlander retired after striking out six with two earned runs, and a one run lead. Jason Grilli replaced Verlander and started out with John Buck getting a single and driving home Teahen and moving Gload to second, still no outs. The game was tied at three when Tony Pena Jr singled shifting Gload to third. Bobby Seay replaced Grilli with one out and runners on the corners. Gathright lined out to Renteria, which made it two outs, then Aquilino Lopez came in to replace Seay on the mound. Mark Grudzielanek drove home Ross Gload, the go ahead run. Alex Gordon flied out which ended a rough two-inning stretch for the Tigers. Meche retired with his team now clinching a one run lead, leaving the team's fate in the hands of Brett Tomko.
The Bottom of the seventh started out promising with Gary Sheffield drawing his third walk of the game. However, Magglio grounded into a double play. Miguel Cabrera followed him by striking out swinging and bringing Detroit into the eighth down by one. Tomko would stick around for the bottom half of the eighth and Guillen, the first man up, made him pay by slamming a ball and tying the game up at four.
Denny Bautista would stand on the mound for the additional innings. Bautista would walk the first Royal up, Teahen. Gload would sac bunt Teahen to second, one out. John Buck would come up next and send a ball soaring to Inge. Teahen would try and score but was called out at the plate while Buck posted up at second, two outs. In a déjà vu sort of way Pena Jr shot one right at Inge as well, only this time Buck would make it home and give the Royals a one run lead with a man on first. Gathright was walked which brought up Esteban German with a runner on first and second. Bautista struck out German to end the inning, but the damage was done. The Tigers would have to at least have one player cross the plate in order to keep playing. Joakim Soria stared down Clete Thomas to start the bottom of the eleventh. Thomas would lead off with a double that almost tied up the game falling in the warning track dirt and ricocheting off the wall. The tying run sitting at second, Brandon Inge stepped up and sac bunted Thomas to third. Edgar Renteria came up, not doing anything since he drove in the first run. He dug a hole starting out 0-2, he took two balls to even the count as the stadium became electrified. He swung for the fences but the breaking ball snuck by him. Placido Polanco would step into the batters box with two outs. Polanco drove a liner towards the gap but Alex Gordon made a diving stop and throws out Polanco ending the game and sealing an opening day victory over the Tigers for Kansas City.
Both Renteria and Cabrera went 1-5 with an RBI. Miguel had a throwing error and a homer in his debut in Detroit. Verlander, like the rest of the Tigers played well initially but failed to take advantage of big plays that could've pushed them ahead for good. Nunez got the win for KC and Bautista earned a loss. Both starting pitchers will be nursing an unusually high ERA for a stutter step at the start of this season. It was a hard fought loss for the Tigers and a narrow escape for the Royals. This season and baseball looks to send to MLB in a different direction than the course it has been set on for a few seasons now.
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