No, that's not how long it's been since I was with someone, but nice try. Instead it's how long the Detroit Tigers have gone since being above .500, a position they sit in after their 7-0 shellacking of Roy Halladay and the Toronto Blue Jays to open the season. After getting out the gate 0-2 in 2001, the Tigers swept the Chicago White Sox in Chicago to go to 3-2 on the season. They lost 12 of their next 14 and didn't sniff .500 for another 2 years as they opened the 2002 campaign 0-11 and last year, 0-9. The victory also marked their first opening day win since 2000 when Hideo Nomo and Co. defeated Oakland, 7-4.
Now where do the Tigers go from here? Likely up. You simply cannot quantify the kind of confidence boost that victory, and the fashion it came in, gave this team. Newcomers Rondell White, Ivan Rodriguez, and Fernando Vina were 6-for-14 (.429) with 4 RBIs and 2 HRs. Jason Johnson looked sharp in his Detroit debut, going 6 scoreless with 3 strikeouts and a 1.00 WHIP. The bullpen combined for 3 clean innings allowing just 4 hits and walking none.
Though excited, I'm not delusional. This team has a long way to come and I cannot expect Johnson to continue to give that kind of effort, but then again, no one expected Runelvys Hernandez to start the season 4-0 with a 1.36 ERA in Kansas City last year. I do feel that the hitting can continue as the lineup is solid throughout, but for this team to achieve a record at or near .500, guys like Johnson, Mike Maroth, and Jeremy Bonderman must have exceptional seasons. As of now, the Tigers sit 1-0 after punishing the Cy Young Award Winner from 2003 in his own stadium. The offseason acquisitions showed their stuff early and hopefully can do so often.
Today, Maroth faces Miguel Batista at 7:05 Eastern.
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