Detroit Tigers Come Back to Take Series Opener Against Mariners 5-4

All eyes in Detroit were on the Detroit Tigers’ Alfredo Simon as he tried to get his version of Amy Schumer’s “Trainwreck” back on track Monday night in the series opener against the Seattle Mariners.  Simon entered the match only posting one win in his last five outings.  Simon also posted in those last five outings an impressive twenty-eight earned runs, forty-seven hits in his 22 2/3 innings and an outstanding ERA of 11.12.

For those fans in Detroit that paid for the Alfredo Simon festival first hand, he certainly didn’t disappoint.  Simon lasted all but 5 2/3 innings allowing four runs allowing six hits, four walks (two of which scored), four earned runs and a beaning of the home plate umpire when he missed a signal from catcher James McCann. Clearly the Big Pasta that showed up for dinner the first two months was a fluke.

Mariners’ catcher Mike Zunino certainly dined at the all you can eat Olive Garden pasta fest tonight at Comerica Park.  The slugger hitting a solid .158 had a career night against Simon going 2-2 against Simon with a bases loaded double in the second driving in two and knocking out Simon in the sixth with the go ahead single giving him three RBI against Simon and the Mariners the 4-3 lead.

Clearly not a fluke is Brad Ausmus‘ mismanaging of his pitching staff by seemingly again leaving Simon in the game one batter too long.  Ausmus pushed Simon to 101 pitches as Zunino punched him out.

Ian Kinsler started off the Tigers’ scoring with a solo home run in the bottom of the first, his fourth of the year.  Zunino’s double in the top of the second gave the Mariners a 2-1 lead.  James McCann continued his solid year by giving the Tigers a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the second with a two run double scoring both J.D. Martinez and Nick Castellanos.

Robinson Cano tied it up in the top of the fifth with a solo line drive home run to right field.

Blaine Hardy was one of the highlights of the game coming in and shutting the Mariners down the remainder of the sixth and the seventh. Al Albuquerque posted a solid eighth inning in relief.

Kinsler provided all the fireworks the Tigers needed in the bottom of the eighth drilling his second home run of the game off Mariner’s reliever Mark Lowe.  Kinsler drove in Jose Iglesias in from third after his double giving the Tigers a 5-4 lead.  It was Kinsler’s first multi home run game in four years.

Joakim Soria came in the ninth and had a 1-2-3 inning posting his twenty-first save of the year and giving Tigers a much-needed series opening victory 5-4 and getting them back to the .500 mark.

The Tigers throw their other ace in Shane Greene tomorrow at 7:08PM at Comerica Park versus Taijuan Walker.