Detroit Tigers Lose 1-0 in Pitching Duel to St. Louis Cardinals

Monday afternoon was a perfect day to turn on the Detroit Tigers game, fold into the couch and take a long nap.  David Price got the nod to start against John Lackey for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Each pitcher looked incredibly sharp in the start.  Price pitched four one hit innings and struck out five.  Lackey countered three no hit solid innings with four strike outs.

The Tigers finished with only three hits.  Yoenis Cespedes got the Tigers bats started in the fifth with a double and what turned out to be their best chance of the game to score.  Daniel Fields hit a two out single but third base coach held Cespedes at third and the Tigers did not score.

The lone run from the St. Louis Cardinals came in the bottom of the sixth inning off Tiger reliever Josh Zeid when he walked center fielder Randal Grichuk.  Grichuk advanced to second off a Zeid wild pitch and then scored when third baseman Pete Kozma singled him home.

Other notable events from the game – Jose Iglesias started in his first back to back games all spring; Alex Avila returned from his lower back tightness and former Tiger Jhonny Peralta went 1 for 3.

The Tigers face the Washington Nationals in Lakeland tomorrow at 1:05PM in a match up of Justin Verlander versus Stephen Strasburg.