If I can sum up todays game with a phrase: Attention to detail. Or should I say lack thereof
First inning was a feeling out process for both teams. Both squads left men on 1st & 3rd. James Shields threw over 25 pitches. Yes you read that right.
This games action actually picked up at the top of the 2nd inning, when Right Fielder Tyler Collins swings at the first pitch thrown to him (high fastball) and smacks it over the right field wall. 1-0 Detroit! Turns out James Shields had given up 40 home runs last season (leading the majors). Was this a sign of things to come? Are the Tigers going to pick up where they left off in the previous game?
Alex, that’ll be, what is NO for 500 please.
Lets fast forward to what broke the game open, and things went downhill for the Tigers.
In the bottom of the 2nd with runners on first & third and one out, Jacob May lays down a sacrifice bunt, except it went horribly wrong — for the Tigers. It concluded with Matthew Boyd getting an error, and the man who should have been out getting a double, a man advancing to third, and a run. 1-1 tie game.
Next, with runners on 2nd and 3rd, still one out and Saladino and his mustache comes up to bat. Saladino hits a rocket on the ground to shortstop Jose Iglesias, who then makes a great decision to throw it to home plate instead of first to get the potential go ahead run out. Tigers fans had to have been feeling pretty good after that one.
It was short lived, because Tim Anderson comes up, and immediately raises the blood pressure of Tigers fans with a RBI single. 2-1 White Sox
Boyd then loads the bases after walking Melky Cabrera. but strikes out Jose Abreau. 34 pitch inning!
By the 3rd inning, Boyd had walked 4 players, Then seals his fate, by serving up a hitters dream ball. The 3 run bomb by Geovany Soto, puts the South Siders up 5-1. Thats when Boyd’s night came to an end. Too little too late, if you ask me
Anibal Sanchez comes in and went from potentially salvaging the game, to giving up 4 more runs., including a 3 run home run in the bottom of the 4th by Matt Davidson. The lead ballooned at that point to 9-1.
Miguel Cabrera went hitless again, Victor Martinez was shut down, and Justin Aptonat least got stolen base. Whatever that’s worth.
One Tiger who did show up was Nick Castellanos. Nick went 1-4, but got solid contact all day, and finally broke through with a double turned triple, thanks to an error in the 8th.
This game was the reverse of game 1. The White Sox bats showed up, and their pitching did just enough. Make no mistake about it, James Shields was giving chances to Detroit all day, but no one capitalized.
Detroit went 1-6 with runners in scoring position, and got nothing from their pitchers today. At least the season is still very young, so nothing to worry about here.
Tomorrow is Detroit’s unofficial holiday known as Opening Day, so hopefully I’ll be in the building, if not I’ll definitely be watching. Hopefully it’s a win for the boys, although the Red Sox vs Pirates game was postponed today due to weather, and Boston ended up getting a little rest. The Tigers have a short trip home, and I expect the cats to be ready. Happy Opening Day, see you all tomorrow✌🏿
Live From Woodward 