Opening Day in Detroit Brings Fans and Team Together

The Opening Day festivities in Detroit were in full swing as the fans and the team prepared for another baseball season in Comerica Park. High hopes and expectations were in the very air that surrounded the stadium as the full house of fans erupted to the announcement of their favorite Tiger players.

Justin Verlander took the hill for Detroit in his first ever Opening Day start.

Gil Meche was the starter for the Kansas City Royals, looking to spoil the debut of the Tigers star studded lineup.

They did just that.

A 5-4 loss in eleven innings put the first game of the season in the loss column for Detroit. "I don't think we'll win most of time just because our payroll is big, "Claimed Tiger manager Jim Leyland."We just left some guys on base and we left a couple pitches up."

You cannot leave ten runners on base and win a baseball game, bottom line.

Miguel Cabrera smacked a homer and aided the Tigers to a 3-0 lead after five innings, but that wasn't enough to hold off the bats of the Royals. Alex Gordon crushed a two run homer off of Verlander to bring the Royals within one run 3-2. Both managers raved about Gordon's improvements.

Verlander was taken out of the game after giving up a leadoff walk and a single in the seventh inning. He was replaced by Tiger reliever Jason Grilli who immediately gave up an RBI single to Royals catcher John Buck tying the game at three. He then was replaced by right-hander Aquilino Lopez who gave up the go ahead run to Mark Grudzielanek with two outs.

Carlos Guillen connected for his first homer of the year tying the game at four.

Todd Jones pitched a perfect inning in the ninth giving way to Denny Bautista in the tenth.

Bautista took the loss for Detroit when he gave up a bloop single to Tony Peña Jr, scoring John Buck. The Tigers were unable to score in the eleventh, despite the efforts of rookie Clete Thomas who doubled off the wall to start the inning.

All in all, I thought it was a well played, exciting baseball game and the Tigers just came up short.

With 161 games left I wouldn't be too disappointed Tiger fans, this truly is a lineup to be reckoned with this year...Go Tigers!