Pirates at Tigers
A pair of rebuilding teams put on quite a show in their season opener and hope their starters can go deep when the Detroit Tigers host the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday afternoon in the middle contest of a three-game series. The teams combined to use 15 pitchers Friday in Pittsburgh's 13-10 victory - a 5-hour, 27-minute game decided when Gregory Polanco belted a three-run homer in the 13th inning on a 3-0 pitch from Alex Wilson.
Friday's game seemed to end with Detroit winning 11-10 in 10 innings on JaCoby Jones' RBI single - complete with an on-field celebration - but a lengthy review reversed the call when it was determined that Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli tagged Nicholas Castellanos before he touched home plate. Extra innings didn't appear to be necessary when Pittsburgh scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning to take a 10-6 lead, but the Tigers answered with four of their own capped by Dixon Machado's game-tying two-run double. Detroit's Michael Fulmer was bypassed to start Opening Day - a surprise to many - and will oppose Trevor Williams, who began 2017 in the bullpen but was one of the Pirates' most reliable starters by season's end. "We have a great engine to our team with the starting rotation,” Williams told reporters. “We have guys that love to compete, guys that hate losing.”
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network; AT&T SportsNet-Pittsburgh, FS Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Trevor Williams (2017: 7-9, 4.07 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Michael Fulmer (2017: 10-12, 3.83)
Williams, who made 25 starts last season, recorded 10 quality starts after June 1 and a 3.71 ERA during that span. The 25-year-old Californian struck out 18 in 15 1/3 innings during the spring but allowed 13 runs (10 earned) and 18 hits. "I know I'm not a flashy guy, sexy pitcher with premium stuff, but my confidence and my ability to compete is what's helping me and will help me for the rest of my career," Williams told reporters.
Fulmer, the 2016 American League Rookie of the Year, was strong in his final spring training start, showing no ill effects of the season-ending ulnar transposition surgery he underwent in September. The 25-year-old Oklahoman yielded two hits and a walk while striking out three in seven scoreless innings against Atlanta on Sunday and finished the spring with a 2.12 ERA in 17 frames, striking out 15. Fulmer regressed a bit in 2017 after going 11-7 with a 3.06 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 26 starts as a rookie.
WALK-OFFS
1. Detroit manager Ron Gardenhire was ejected from his first game in a Tigers uniform after arguing the reversed call.
2. Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera, whose 2,638 hits are second-most among active players (Albert Pujols), went 2-for-6 on Friday with a two-run double that tied the game 4-4 in the seventh inning.
3. Home plate umpire Mike Everitt left Friday's game with a concussion in the eighth inning after being hit in the mask by a pitch.