Tigers rack up many firsts in win over Chicago
CHICAGO – The firsts came fast and furious for the Detroit Tigers on Thursday afternoon.
First of all, let’s get the big one out of the way: The Detroit Tigers opened their 124th season by beating the Chicago White Sox, 1-0, the first time in team history that the Tigers won an Opening Day game by scoring only one run.
“You can’t go nine scoreless without a lot of guys contributing, so it was a pretty awesome win,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said.
Indeed.
Now, let’s talk about Tarik Skubal, the unquestioned ace of the staff. Skubal got his first Opening Day start – a tremendous honor – and he pitched like an ace, throwing six innings, scattering just three hits and racking up six strikeouts. Check that, he pitched like a Cy Young contender.
Yes, I know it’s early. Yes, I know the White Sox are not exactly world-beaters. But Skubal is a stud.
Oh, and he didn’t walk anybody as the White Sox could only swing and miss, whiffing at 20 of his pitches.
“On the way to the field, that’s when I got pretty nervous,” Skubal said. “It’s kind of full circle – I debuted here with no fans” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was also a first for Riley Greene, the Tigers left fielder. Greene was playing in his first official game since he injured his elbow while diving on this same field in Chicago last September. So, he went out there and made a diving play.
“I had to face my fear,” he said, walking to the shower. “What better place than here?”
That might have been the slogan of this game.
Because this day also featured a series of firsts for Colt Keith, the Tigers’ rookie second baseman.
It was his first morning waking up as a major leaguer – he was so jacked up before the game that he woke up before his alarm went off, jumped on the first bus available and beat all of his teammates to the park.
He went through his first pregame, start, first ground ball and first at-bat.
“It was crazy,” he said. “It was just overwhelming with people and how big the stadium was.”
But he settled down, found some calm and picked up his first hit – a two-strike infield single that meandered slowly through the infield. So what?
A hit is a hit. Especially the first one.
“It was just awesome,” he said. “I just tried to put it in play, I wasn’t going to give up on it.”
A new voice on TV
first
This game was also a first for Jason Benetti, the Tigers’ new play-by-play announcer on Bally Sports Detroit.
Ironically, it happened in Chicago, in the same building he used to work.
In the second inning, the White Sox honored Benetti with a scoreboard tribute, putting up his picture with a warm message: “Thank you for eight seasons in Chicago.”
Fans stood up and turned around, giving him a standing ovation – clearly, he was loved in Chicago. He took off his headset, stood up and waved, as his new partner Craig Monroe broke into applause.
Benetti continued waving, as he appeared on the scoreboard, and he touched his chest.
“That is unbelievably gracious of the White Sox organization, and I’m sincerely so appreciative,” he said.
Then, a White Sox employee gave him a box of Chicago-style pizza.
“This is the most Chicago thing that has ever happened to me in my entire life,” he beamed “And I grew up here.”
“Are you sharing that pizza?” Monroe asked, looking at him. “That’s all I want to know.”
I had sneaked into the booth to watch them work, and it’s clear they already have a fun, relaxed vibe.
“Thank you everybody for that,” Benetti said. “And no, I’m not.”
Monroe was out of luck. And yes, that was the first official pizza diss. And it was fantastic.
Even more firsts
Oh, so many firsts.
It was the Tigers' first Opening Day without Miguel Cabrera since 2007.
It was the first Opening Day for Parker Meadows, who knocked Javier Báez from second to third – a small thing that was actually a huge thing and the kind of thing this team needs to win.
“Parker hangs in there against a really tough lefty,” Hinch said, listing off all the impactful plays in this game.
“And gets him over.”
And it was the first time Hinch rolled out this particular batting order.
Curiously, he put Andy Ibáñez as the leadoff batter, and it worked perfectly, as Ibáñez promptly got the game-winning RBI on a sacrifice fly.
Hinch put Torkelson in the No. 2 hole for just the 33rd game of his career. So, it wasn't a first, but it certainly worked.
Hinch did it, in part, to put Ibáñez and Torkelson in front of Greene. But there is another element. Interestingly, it is the slot where Torkelson has hit the most homers (10), has the highest slugging percentage (.530) and best OPS (.827).
Torkelson responded by going 2-for-4.
And it was the first save of the season for Jason
Foley, who was throwing gas.
So, yes, it was a day of firsts, and it felt as if everybody played a role.
“We’re gonna need everybody,” Hinch said. “There’s no telling on any given day who it will be.”
As he talked in a hallway, screams could be heard behind a closed door in the locker room. “How did you guys celebrate?” I asked Keith. “That’s gonna stay in here,” he said, smiling. First win. First shutout. First celebration. You only get one chance to make a first impression – and on first blush, this was just a first-rate day.