Coming into the 2019 MLB season there was not a lot of expectations in the “Motor City” for the Detroit Tigers.  Most fans thought this would be another rebuilding season for their ball club.  However, you would not have known if you walked into this year’s Tigers club house.  In his second season as Tigers manager (Ron Gardenhire) has tried to instill a new positive attitude amongst his players.  The “competitive attitude” day in and day out has most certainly helped this young ball club.  And it has shown.  

The Tigers started their 2019 regular season off with a sold win.  Coming north of the border in Toronto, by the score of 2-0.  The man who held the Blue Jays at bay was Tiger’s Ace Jordan Zimmermann.  Zimmermann had a perfect game going through 6.2 innings.  Until he gave up his only hit of the day to Blue Jays left fielder Teoscar Hernandez.  However, Zimmermann and the Tigers would go onto win that game 2-0.   

Detroit would go on to lose the next two games in Toronto, 6-0 and 3-0.  However, the Tigers would pull out a win in game four of the opening series.  Behind their veteran starter Matt Moore who tossed 7.0 scoreless innings and only gave up 2 hits to Toronto.  That game would move to extra-innings, but the Tigers would pull through big in their half of the 11th.  Nicholas Castellanos would hit a sharp ground ball RBI single into center, which would score Grayson Greiner and secure a win for Detroit 4-3.  

Their next series would be played in “The Big Apple.” In front of a packed house at Yankee Stadium.  The Tigers would lose the first game in New York 3-1.  However, their starting pitching would come out to play in games 2 and 3.  In game two Jordan Zimmermann would take the spot light again by pitching another 6.2 innings.  This time he would give up 6 hits on 1 run to the Yankees.  The game would be a “Nail Biter” until the top of the 9th.   In the Tigers half of the 9th, Dustin Peterson the Tigers center fielder would double to left field off one of the games hardest throwers Aroldis Chapman.  That double would give the Tigers a 2-1 lead.  Detroit would collect another insurance run in the inning.  This time it would come off the bat of their shortstop Jordy Mercer.   Detroit would end up winning that game 3-1, as closer Shane Greene would shut the door on the Yankees and deliver the Tigers another win and his third save of the season.  

The Tigers would go onto win the third and final game of that series by the score of 2-1, before coming back home to Detroit to open the home stand at Comerica Park in front of their fans.  Where they would take on SP Jakob Junis and the Kansas City Royals in game 1 of the 2019 home stand.  

Game one would be a sort of a back-and-forth game between the two clubs.  The Royals would get the scoring started on a Jorge Solar double which scored Alex Gordon from first.  Making the game 1-0 Royals.  The Tigers would get two runs back from a Miguel Cabrera single and a Niko Goodrum force out which scored Nicholas Castellanos.  Making the game 2-1 Tigers.  Two innings later in the third K.C. would tie it up on an RBI single from Jorge Soler, scoring Wit Merrifield. 

In the 5th inning Alex Gordon would step up to the plate and hit a sacrifice fly to left field, which scored Wit Merrifield.  Giving the Royals a 3-2 lead.  In the bottom half of the 5th Niko Goodrum would double to right scoring 2B Josh Harrison tying the game a 3 again.  In the 7th Detroit would get 2 more runs extending their lead to 2, now making the 5-3 Tigers.  Alex Gordon would homer to right in the top of 8th making the game 5–4 Tigers, but that would not be enough for K.C. as they would fall to the Tigers in the end by that score (5–4). 

The Tigers would go on to win the next two games of that three-game series.  7-4 in game two and 3-1 in game three.  The Tigers closer Shane Greene would pick up 3 more saves in that series moving his total up to 7 on the season.  That number leads all of MLB in saves on the season thus far.  

With all that being said, it looks like the Tigers won’t be throwing in the towel on the season just yet.  Why should they, there is only 152 more games to go and anything can happen.     

Picture from: The Detroit Free Press.com