What a game for Chris Shelton today. Single, Home Run, Home Run, Line Out. And the line out was a shot that was speared by Mark Grudzielanek that could have easily been a single. So four at bats and four well hit balls. He won the game and Carlos Guillen gave the Tigers some insurance with a solo shot in the eighth to make it 3-1.
Joel Zumaya also had a nice couple of innings. He got into a jam in the seventh but got out of it, and he struck out three in two innings. Not that he’ll throw like this every day, but between his two innings and Fernando Rodney throwing a perfect ninth, it kind of makes the Todd Jones signing look more and more pointless. Zumaya even touched 100 on the gun.
I was a little surprised that Kenny Rogers was this good. Granted it’s the Royals but he threw six innings and gave up only a single run on three hits. He struck out five and didn’t walk a batter. And he did it all with only 81 pitches. A great start as a Tiger.
This was the Tigers’ third straight opening day win. On Wednesday, Jeremy Bonderman will throw against Joe Mays. We know the Flint native well after seeing him more then enough when he played for Minnesota.
Shelton is the real deal. Look for him to make the all star team this year.
--Dan I don’t think you are wrong about Rogers, let’s keep this in perspective he was facing the RoyAAAls. It will be interesting to see how Texas handles him.
--Ryan, check your spelling. I think you have one too many a’s in RoyAAls.
--Did you guys see this new baseball book, Two Hot Dogs With Everything, that just came out. It’s about superstition and baseball legends and I gotta think it is about the Tigers! Cool read because it’s about everything we do to make our team win!!
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Hey, how about that! I hope I’m wrong about Rogers. Obviously, he was very efficient. We’ll see.
Joe Mays is a godawful pitcher, just terrible. The Tigers should eat him alive.
--Posted by Dan on April 4th, 2006 at 7:03 am