Tigers prospect JaCoby Jones hits three-run HR to win exhibition opener LAKELAND, Fla. -- The Detroit Tigers lost just one time in their first 29 exhibition games with Florida Southern College. JaCoby Jones made sure they avoided their second loss in the series in meeting No. 30. Jones hit a three-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning Monday to break a 2-2 tie and propel the Tigers to a 7-2 win in their exhibition opener. With runners at second and third, Jones hit a 3-2 pitch onto the berm beyond the wall in left field. It was his first at-bat of the game. The Tigers obtained Jones at the trade deadline last season in the trade that sent Joakim Soria to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is in the midst of a 50-game suspension after his second positive test for a drug of abuse, but he is permitted to play in spring games.
Tigers take on the Pirates today at 1:05. This is your Tigers lineup; 1 Iglesias SS 2 Upton LF 3 Cabrera 1B 4 V Mart DH 5 J.D. Mart RF 6 Castellanos 3B 7 McCann C 8 Aviles 2B 9 Bernard CF
Miguel Cabrera homers in Detroit Tigers' spring win over Yankees LAKELAND, Fla. -- The muscle came through again. A three-run homer from Miguel Cabrera was all the Detroit Tigers needed Friday in a 3-0 win over the New York Yankees at Joker Marchant Stadium. Cabrera's long ball over the fence in right-center field - his first of the spring - came on a 2-2 pitch with two outs in the third inning. Anthony Gose was hit by a pitch and Ian Kinsler reached a batter later on a walk. The Tigers' first baseman reached on a walk in the first inning and played five innings. Detroit (3-2) mustered just two hits all game, as Yankees pitching retired the Tigers lineup in order five times. In three games this spring, Cabrera is 2-for-3 with three walks while the Tigers' other power hitter, Victor Martinez, hit his second home run of March Thursday in a win over the Atlanta Braves.
Tigers vs Nationals, 1:05pm 1. Jose Iglesias (R) SS 2. Mike Aviles (R) 2B 3. Victor Martinez (S) DH 4. J.D. Martinez (R) RF 5. Nick Castellanos (R) 3B 6. Tyler Collins (L) LF 7. John Mayberry Jr. (R) 1B 8. Bryan Holaday (R) C 9. Wynton Bernard (R) CF ________________________________ 1. Ben Revere (L) CF 2. Danny Espinosa (S) SS 3. Bryce Harper (L) RF 4. Jayson Werth (R) DH 5. Daniel Murphy (L) 2B 6. Anthony Rendon (R) 3B 7. Matt den Dekker (L) LF 8. Tyler Moore (R) 1B 9. Pedro Severino (R) C
VIERA, Fla. (AP) ? Jordan Zimmermann retired eight of his nine batters in his Detroit debut against his former team, and the Tigers went on to an 8-4 loss to the Washington Nationals on Saturday. Zimmermann yielded a two-out hit to Pedro Severino in the third inning before being replaced by Bruce Rondon, who gave up a two-run homer to Ben Revere. Washington right-hander Stephen Strasburg struck out five but gave up the first of Bryan Holaday's two two-run homers in the second inning. Holaday also connected against A.J. Cole and is 6 for 8 with three homers and eight RBIs this spring. Zimmermann made his major league debut with Washington in 2009 and played for the Nationals for seven seasons before signing a $110 million, five-year contract with Detroit over the winter. "It's definitely fun getting out there and attacking these guys after all the smack talk," a smiling Zimmermann said. "They said when I moved on they were going to take me deep. It was a good outing." Among the batters Zimmermann retired Saturday were Bryce Harper, Jayson Werth and Anthony Rendon. "You know some of these guy's tendencies and obviously, they (tried) to switch it up on me," Zimmermann said. "(Jayson Werth), I threw him a first-pitch heater. Usually, he takes the first pitch. I figured he might be swinging (so) I threw it for a ball. I threw a slider and he's yelling at me out there, rounding first after he popped up. It was fun."
Ian Kinsler's 4-RBI day propels Tigers to spring win over Marlins LAKELAND, Fla. -- Ian Kinsler has a knack this spring for clearing the bases. He did it again Sunday, using a three-run double in the second inning to help the Detroit Tigers to a 9-2 win over the Miami Marlins in Grapefruit League play. Kinsler's hit came with two outs in the second inning off reliever Patrick Johnson, whose pitch ended up in the warning track in left-center field of Joker Marchant Stadium. It was the second multi-RBI game this spring for Kinsler, who finished 1-for-3 with four RBIs, driving in an insurance run in the fourth on a ground ball to third base.
Detroit Tigers homer 5 times in spring win over Nationals LAKELAND, Fla. -- The long ball continues to be the Detroit Tigers' best friend this spring. Already leading the major leagues in home runs, the Tigers homered five more times Wednesday in an 11-5 win over the Washington Nationals at Joker Marchant Stadium. Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a three-run blast off Washington relief pitcher Nick Massett in the third inning, highlighting a two-out rally in which the Tigers scored four runs on two hits, a walk and two Nationals errors. Ian Kinsler led off the game with a solo home run to left-center off starter Gio Gonzalez, who was charged with the loss. Gonzalez allowed four runs -- two earned -- and walked four. Miguel Cabrera added insurance with one out in the fourth, tagging Massett for a solo home run -- his second in 11 at-bats -- over the fence in left field. (MLIVE)
Tigers taking on the Phillies... 1:05 first pitch - Jordan Zimmermann on the mound. 1. Jose Iglesias (R) SS 2. Tyler Collins (L) LF 3. Justin Upton (R) DH 4. Nick Castellanos (R) 3B 5. Nate Schierholtz (L) RF 6. James McCann (R) C 7. John Mayberry Jr. (R) 1B 8. Andrew Romine (S) 2B 9. Wynton Bernard (R) CF
Maikel Franco homers twice off Jordan Zimmermann in Tigers' tie with Phillies CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Home runs have come with regularity this spring for the Detroit Tigers. On Thursday, the long ball bit them in the butt. Maikel Franco homered twice off starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann and the Tigers tied a game with the Philadelphia Phillies, 6-6, at Bright House Field.
Tigers vs Astros Lineups... Fulmer vs Feldman... 1:05 first pitch. 1. Ian Kinsler (R) 2B 2. Anthony Gose (L) CF 3. Miguel Cabrera (R) 1B 4. Victor Martinez (S) DH 5. J.D. Martinez (R) RF 6. Steven Moya (L) LF 7. Casey McGehee (R) 3B 8. Bryan Holaday (R) C 9. Jose Iglesias (R) SS ____________________________________ 1. Jose Altuve (R) 2B 2. George Springer (R) RF 3. Carlos Correa (R) SS 4. Colby Rasmus (L) LF 5. Carlos Gomez (R) CF 6. Luis Valbuena (L) 3B 7. Tyler White (R) DH 8. A.J. Reed (L) 1B 9. Jason Castro (L) C
Pirates rally past Tigers after Gerrit Cole's rocky debut BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) ? Gerrit Cole served up wind-blown home runs to Anthony Gose and Casey McGehee in his Grapefruit League debut Sunday before the Pittsburgh Pirates rallied past the Detroit Tigers for a 9-5 win at McKechnie Field. Cole, who finished fourth in NL Cy Young Award voting last season, gave up two hits and struck out one in two innings. A minor ribcage injury in January kept Cole off the mound for the first two weeks of spring training games. "Just wanted to get through this one and get a feel for what's going on," Cole said. "Got to start somewhere. We'll build off of it and move forward." With a strong wind blowing out, Starling Marte and Elias Diaz homered for the Pirates and had two hits apiece. Leadoff man Josh Harrison doubled twice, one on a comebacker that hopped past the pitcher, past the shortstop and rolled into shallow center field. "Harrison does things quite often that you're seeing for the first time," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "I thought the pitcher had a play. Then the pitcher didn't have a play, and (Harrison) was dusting off at second. That's the kind of game he plays ? a backyard ballplayer." Pittsburgh finished with 14 hits. Tigers left-hander Matt Boyd allowed five hits and four runs in 3 2-3 innings. He walked two and struck out three. Preston Guilmet was roughed up for three runs, two earned, while getting only two outs in the eighth. Detroit prospect Steven Moya hit his fourth home run of the spring and had two hits. "He looks (at pitches) more this spring than he did in 2014," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "He's a lot more comfortable, a lot more confident." With three home runs, the Tigers increased their league-leading spring total to 25.
J.D. Martinez, Mike Aviles homer in Detroit Tigers' spring win over Mets LAKELAND, Fla. -- J.D. Martinez has struggled at the plate this spring. But he's been able to hit the ball deep. Martinez homered for a third time in Grapefruit League play Monday as the Detroit Tigers beat the New York Mets, 9-2, at Joker Marchant Stadium. The home run, a two-run shot over the fence in right-center field with no outs in the fifth inning, gave the Tigers a three-run cushion and spurred six straight runs. It was the only hit of the game for Martinez, who had three RBIs and reached base in all three at-bats. He is 5-of-22 with three home runs this spring. _________________________ VMart left the game with a mild hamstring pull.
Justin Verlander strikes out five as Tigers beat Braves LAKELAND, Fla. -- Justin Verlander has three more Grapefruit League starts this spring. But he looked more than ready for the regular season Tuesday afternoon. Verlander struck out five and J.D. Martinez and James McCann hit home runs Tuesday afternoon as the Detroit Tigers rolled to a 10-6 win over the Atlanta Braves. Martinez hit a three-run home run in a four-run third inning for the Tigers, who led 6-0 as the game headed to the fourth. Martinez has homered in each of the past three games he has played. McCann hit a grand slam in the seventh inning to extend his team's lead to 10-2. Verlander struck out four consecutive batters at one point and allowed just one runner to reach base.
