Cold bats ruin a fine start by Bieber

The weather was frigid on opening day in Detroit, and for eight innings the Indians’ bats were just as cold.

The weather was frigid on opening day in Detroit, and for eight innings on April 1, the Indians’ bats were just as cold.

Eventually, temperatures will rise. The forecast for the home opener April 5 at Progressive Field calls for a high of 61 degrees. Only time will tell whether the Indians’ bats will also warm enough to make the 3-2 loss suffered in Comerica Park the exception and not the norm when it comes to run production in 2021.

Pitchers are always ahead of hitters at this time of year. Indians starter Shane Bieber struck out 12 Detroit batters and allowed five hits over six innings. He struck out 14 Kansas City Royals in the season opener last year, and thus joined Hall of Famers Bob Gibson, Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson as the only pitchers to strike out 12 or more batters at least twice in season openers.

Bryan Shaw pitched the seventh inning and James Kainchak pitched the eighth. Neither allowed a hit.

Bieber, Shaw and Karinchak combined to stran 16 Tigers runners.

The Indians left 18 runners on base. Their only extra base hit before Roberto Perez hammered a two-run home run in the ninth inning was a double by Cesar Hernandez with one out in the bottom of the first inning.

This Indians’ team will never be confused with the 1927 Murderers’ Row lineup of the New York Yankees.

Analysts expect the Tigers to finish last in the A.L. Central in 2021. The same analysts foresee the Indians struggling to score runs consistently.

The Indians have owned the Tigers for half a decade, going 65-20 against them from 2016-20. Playing Detroit 19 times a year (7-3 last season when the season was only 60 games) has allowed the Indians to fatten up their record in the division.

Bieber was 5-1 against the Tigers before losing the opener. Manager Terry Francona said Bieber made two mistakes: A four-season fastball Bieber intended to throw down and away to Miguel Cabrera instead went up and over the plate. Cabrera drove the ball through the Comerica snowglobe for a two-run homer in the bottom of the first.

Bieber missed the target on another fourseamer to Jacoby Jones in the bottom of the second. Jones turned it into an RBI double and a 3-0 Detroit lead.

“I was excited to face that type of adversity,” Bieber said, referring to pitching in a snowstorm. He said distinguishing home plate through the snowflakes was difficult. “It is what it is. There are a lot more starts to be had. There’s a lot of stuff to work from and grow from personally and as a team.

“The main thing is I was able to wrangle it there toward the end of the game and get control of myself. Next time I have to be better for it and be able to do that sooner.”

Francona was encouraged by the two-out, tworun rally in the top of the ninth. After one game, Perez has equaled his 2020 home run total.

Ben Gamel walked after Perez homered, but he became the 18th Indian left on base when Hernandez popped out to second baseman Jonathan Shoop to end the game.

“You want to win, but I thought we fought back,” Francona said. “He had a chance. We get the tying run on base. We’ll win some of those games.”

Stress is going to grind on the pitchers if continued weak hitting means they have to be near-perfect to win.

“I was excited to face that type of adversity. It is what it is. There are a lot more starts to be had. There’s a lot of stuff to work from and grow from personally and as a team.” — Indians starter Shane Bieber

CARLOS OSORIO — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Jose Ramirez slides into second base as the Tigers’ Jonathan Schoop awaits the throw during the fourth inning April 1. Ramirez was out on a fielder’s choice.