Friday’s Game Report: Tigers 4, Cardinals 0
By Rob Rains
Playing in Detroit has been a tough assignment for the Cardinals in recent years, and that didn’t change on Friday in the Tigers’ home opener.
The Cardinals were limited to just five hits, all singles, and were shut out for the first time in 27 games all-time in Detroit.
The shut out was new, but losing in Detroit was not. The Cardinals fell to 7-20 all-time in Detroit and have now lost 17 of their last 21 games there since 2006.
Here is how Friday’s game broke down:
At the plate: The Cardinals were hitless in five at-bats with a runner in scoring position and left nine runners on base … Three of their hits were leadoff singles, in the fourth, seventh and eighth innings, and they left the bases loaded in the fourth when Jose Fermin flew out to left … It was the second consecutive game for the Cardinals without an extra-base hit … Fermin and Yohel Pozo got their first at-bats of the season but were a combined 0-of-6.
On the mound: After not allowing a hit in six innings in his first start of the season, Michael McGreevy gave up a two-run homer in the fourth and was charged with three runs over 4 2/3 innings. He gave up seven hits, did not walk a batter and struck out four … The third run charged to McGreevy came after Justin Bruihl relieved with a runner on first and gave up consecutive singles in the fifth … George Soriano allowed the final Detroit run in the sixth when he hit a batter with two outs, then gave up a stolen base and an RBI single … Gordon Graceffo pitched around consecutive walks to open the seventh, getting a fly out and a double play.
Key stat: The run allowed by Soriano snapped a streak of 13 consecutive scoreless innings for the Cardinals’ bullpen.
Worth noting: Masyn Winn was in the starting lineup, hitting in the leadoff spot, two days after he was involved in a car accident in St. Louis but had to come out of the game for a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning because of left hip tightness. It wasn’t known if that was related to the accident … Ivan Herrera allowed two stolen bases in two attempts by the Tigers … JJ Wetherholt got his first day off as the Cardinals went with a right-handed heavy lineup against the Tigers but entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the seventh … Jordan Walker was hitless in four at-bats but did throw a runner out at the plate in the third inning … After failing to make the Cardinals opening day roster out of spring training, Nelson Velazquez was 0-of-17 to start the year at Memphis before getting his first hit on Friday.
Up next: Dustin May is scheduled to make his second start of the season on Saturday in the second game of the series. Former Cardinal Jack Flaherty will start for the Tigers.
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