Right on cue, the crowd stood and started to cheer.
There were two outs in the top of the ninth inning. Sure, it was dark and cold, but this was Opening Day in Detroit, an unofficial holiday in the Motor City.
Kyle Ryan was on the mound for the Detroit Tigers, and he struck out Carlos Beltran to give the Tigers a 4-0 victory over the New York Yankees on Friday afternoon before a crowd of 45,049, the fourth-largest in Comerica Park history.
Three games. Three wins.
It’s a perfect start for the Tigers, in all kinds of ways.
“It was a fun all-around game,” third baseman Nick Castellanos said, after a tremendous day in which he picked up four hits. “As a team, we played great defense. As a team, we played great defense. As a team, we hit well. As a team we ran the bases well. If we do that, we are going to win.”
It is risky, if not foolish, to make any generalizations after just three games — remember, the Tigers started off 9-1 last year before falling apart from injuries — but one thing seems clear about this team: This Tigers’ offense is deep and explosive, up and down the lineup.
“We definitely have a lot of options, a lot of ways to score runs,” second baseman Ian Kinsler said, after staying hot and collecting two more hits. “It’s game three. But it’s definitely a talented team. We are just trying to come together to make it all work.”
The star on this day was Jordan Zimmermann, one of the Tigers’ new starting pitchers. He signed as a free agent in November and had a fantastic debut. He wasn’t fazed by the cold weather. Then again, he grew up in Wisconsin and used to milk cows on his grandparents’ farm.
Zimmerman, a two-time National League All-Star, threw a two-hitter in seven scoreless innings.
“He’s no-nonsense, no frills,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. “He’s exactly what you want. He doesn’t mind the spotlight, but he doesn’t need the spectacle.”
Well, this day was all about the spectacle, which is typical on Opening Day in Detroit, but Zimmermann wasn’t fazed by any of it.
Before the game, sidewalks were jammed and bars were packed and fans had to maneuver through some tricky construction zones, which seems to be a constant state these days around Comerica Park.
The pregame festivities brought some interesting moments. There was Kirk Gibson, the former Tigers star from Waterford Kettering and Michigan State, throwing out the first pitch. Who cares that it bounced. Just seeing Gibby out on the mound, after his announcement that he has Parkinson’s disease, was reason to celebrate.
During the introductions, there was a smattering of boos for pitcher Francisco Rodriguez, although Tigers fans boo the closer out of habit. Of course, blowing a save in the first game didn’t help, either.
But it should be noted that Ausmus, who was surprisingly brought back to manage this squad, was not booed. At least, I didn’t hear any.
Then again, there has not been anything to complain about. The Tigers’ bullpen has, for the most part, held strong, except for Rodriguez’s blown save in the first game of the season, which the Tigers found a way to win anyhow.
We feel like there is more stability out there,” Ausmus said, of the bullpen
There seems to be more stability through the entire roster.
And the Tigers got a little bit of everything, from everybody, on this day. Some great defensive plays. Some impressive hitting. Some great starting pitching. A bomb by Miguel Cabrera — just Miggy being Miggy. Some solid pitching out of the bullpen, which was impressive, considering Ausmus was able to rest Rodriguez. And then, once again, there was a whole lot of hitting.
Which brings us back to Castellanos, who had four of the Tigers’ 13 hits.
Castellanos, who has been criticized for his defense, looked quicker, not to mention more athletic, as he made a great diving catch in the first inning and picked up those four hits, including an infield single, beating out a throw.
And he did all of this on a day that was simply miserable for somebody who grew up in Florida.
“I don’t like the cold,” Castellanos said. “I’m a Florida boy, so I have probably on seven layers today.”
He might just wear nine layers Saturday, because the weather is supposed to get worse over the weekend.
“And 15 on Sunday,” Castellanos said.
Whatever.
It seems to be working.
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