Javier Baez knocks in Austin Meadows in bottom of ninth for 5-4 win
DETROIT - The revamped Detroit Tigers returned to seal a thrilling walk-off win over division-rival Chicago White Sox on Opening Day at Comerica Park.
There was an air of excitement before the first pitch, as the Tigers' starting lineup included two new stars – Austin Meadows and Javier Baez – with Eduardo Rodriguez a new starting pitcher and top prospect Spencer Torkelson.
But Rodriguez's Tigers career started off rocky. He needed 31 pitches to get through the first innings and issued back-to-back walks with two outs to set the table for Aloy Jiménez Dribbbler who scored the first.
Another two-out rally burned Rodriguez in second. After the first two batsmen retired, Jake Burger hit a double slap down the right field line and A.J. Pollock pushes him inside with a single. Louis Robert followed moments later with a double to net Pollock on goal.
Rodriguez lasted just four innings, scoring three runs off four hits and two walks, while dismissing just two batsmen.
Drew Hutchison relieved Rodriguez and gave the Tigers two scoreless innings, taking just two hits.
Jeimer Candelario finally got the Tigers on board in the bottom of the sixth with a full-count base hit in right-center field. This happened when Robbie Grossman collided with a pitch and Meadows walked in to lead the innings.
The Tigers could have scored another run which was an innings at a fielder's liking, but Candelario was called for an intervention on a slide at second base. As a result, Cabrera's RBI grounder turned into a real double game.
Soon after the Tigers came on board, Alex Lang was penned for a crucial shutdown innings. He allowed a single each, but there was no further damage.
In the following frame, Jacob Barnes retired the White Sox down the order, requiring only 12 pitches.
The Tigers rallied together in the eighth inning when Grossman singled out and Meadows scored his third walk of the game with a dismissal. Baez followed up with his first hit in a Tigers uniform - a single dumped in front of Jimenez in left field to load the base.
After Candelario was called out at the 2–2 boundary line, White Sox manager Tony La Russa opted to bring Liam Hendrix closer for the final of the innings.
But Cabrera greeted Hendrix with a first-pitch bloop single that hit right-center field at 79.4 mph to tie the game. Aqeel Baddu slipped to third position to trap the loaded bases.
After two at-bats, Gregory Soto conceded a huge home run to Andrew Vaughan, and the White Sox took a straight lead.
The Tigers had a little more magic left. Erik Haase, who entered the game as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning, crushed Hendrix's 3–2 fastball over the left field fence to tie the game.
Meadows kept the rally alive with a two-out triple, and Baez delivered a walk-off hit just above Pollock's glove and off the right-field fence. The replays were reviewed to send Tigers players dancing on the field with a 5-4 win.