Detroit Tigers: Drama at Target Field Results in Matt Boyd Ejection

The Detroit Tigers matinee against the Minnesota Twins was anything but a typical day at the ballpark.

The Detroit Tigers started the game without Miguel Cabrera, J.D. Martinez, and Jose Iglesias.

They ended the game with JaCoby Jones injured and Matt Boyd ejected. They also got a much needed win.

The drama began in the third inning. Nick Castellanos scored the team’s second run with a blast over the wall at left center. Two batters later, Justin Upton nailed a line drive home run to center field. John Hicks doubled. Then, JaCoby Jones came to bat. After a 1-2 count, he was hit in the face by a pitch.

Word on JaCoby Jones

As of Brad Ausmus‘s report to Fox Sports Detroit, Jones was being scanned to see if there was any internal damage. Ausmus reported that Jones had a split lip and that it appeared his teeth were ok.

Ausmus on Jones: "They think his teeth are all intact, but they're doing a CT just to make sure there's no other structural damage."
— Jason Beck (@beckjason) April 22, 2017

Was this an accident? Or was it intentional? Only Justin Haley knows. But, one thing is certain: Jones was definitely hurt as his mouth was full of blood and he was clearly shaken. After being hit in the head, he will receive the concussion protocol. Odds are good that he will be out for at least a few games.

Did He or Didn’t He?

Apr 22, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Matthew Boyd (48) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /

The game seemed to be quieting down until the bottom of the fifth. Miguel Sano was at the plate and Boyd threw the first pitch. Instead of throwing over the plate, Boyd pitched the ball into Sano’s backside. And, instead of simply taking first base, Sano headed toward Boyd. James McCann and the home plate umpire Jordan Baker got in front of him. Sano slugged McCann, which resulted in an ejection. Then, the benches cleared. Nicholas Castellanos was the first Tiger to reach the fray but no one else threw any punches.

Put Nicholas Castellanos in the not-so-subtle camp: pic.twitter.com/Rrbh9TYR5R
— Evan Woodbery (@evanwoodbery) April 22, 2017

Unfortunately, Boyd’s pitch at Sano was considered intentional and the 26-year-old lefty was ejected. At the time, Tigers were up 3-2. Blaine Hardy replaced Boyd, but after a short warm-up, he gave up a double and a single and the score quickly turned to 3-3.

Scoring Continued

Fortunately, the Tigers were not done scoring. By the time the game was over, Castellanos earned another RBI with a single that scored Mikie Mahtook who was walked in the sixth inning. Justin Upton earned a walk, then McCann earned a RBI with a sac fly that scored Casty. This set the score to 5-3.

After solid pitching by Alex Wilson and Justin Wilson, Ausmus put Francisco Rodriguez in as the closer. The first at-bat was an easy ground-out to Alex Avila at first base. Of course, he brought the drama back to the game in the form of a home run to Jason Castro. K-Rod gave up a single to the next batter, Brian Dozier. After Tigers fans were on edge again, hoping and praying for a miracle from K-Rod, he delivered. Jorge Polanco flied out to Mahtook and after a long at-bat, Joe Mauer struck out swinging.

Next: Bullpen Troubles and the Goose Egg

After a game that lasted four hours, the Tigers got away with a 5-4 win. On a side note, fans are still waiting on an extra-base hit from Victor Martinez, who went 0-5 today and left six runners on base. That’s a story for another day.

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