Home Run Barrage

It's frustrating being an out-of-town fan. I get to see the Tigers play irregularly--usually only when they play the Yankees, or the occasional ESPN or Fox game. Fortunately, when a team is good, they will be on more often, and I had my first chance to see them yesterday against the Red Sox. It made what had been a shitty day a little more tolerable, as they routed the Bosox 10-0.

The slugging started early, with Miguel Cabrera, still sporting evidence of the ball he took off the cheekbone in spring training, smacking his first home run in the first inning. He would add an another, one that needed umpire review, as it somehow went over the fence, came back on the field, and then rolled under the bullpen gate. Cabrera would also make some sparkling plays on defense.

The new arrival, Prince Fielder, had two of his own. One was a long ball to left-center, the second a missile to right that took less than a second to land in the grandstands. The Fox crew came up with a great bit of trivia--the last time the number three and four hitters each had two home runs in one game was July 4, 1968 (Jim Northrup and Norm Cash). Alex Avila added a two-run shot for good measure.

The only discord in the game was when Doug Fister, the capable starter, had to leave in the fourth inning with a strained muscle in his side. He will go on the 15-day DL; let's hope that rest will do the trick. The relief core was more than up to the task, shutting out the Red Sox the whole way, with Duane Below picking up his first-ever Major League victory.

The Tigers are now 2-0, certainly too early to anoint them winners of anything, but if they can keep up the hitting machine attack like they did against Josh Beckett, it figures to be a fun season.