Empyreal Environs

Detroit showcased its prodigious offense, a slugging lineup that was bolstered by Prince Fielder when Victor Martinez suffered a season-ending injury this past January. Fielder joined Miguel Cabrera in swatting two homers in yesterday’s rout of the visiting Red Sox. The Tigers duo of Fielder and Cabrera not only torment ace pitchers with their bats, their combined appetites could easily revitalize Detroit’s restaurant scene.

Josh Beckett did nothing to allay doubts about his commitment to the game after the end of the season fiasco of which he is considered a primary author. He had thumb discomfort that had him seeking the advice of physicians but Beckett’s atrociousness was not due to injury. His command of the strike zone wasn’t a match for Cabrera and Fielder’s power strokes. Even Alex Avila, a catcher with moderate power, got to Boston’s right-handed starter.

Beckett’s shakiness was not the only sign of playing off the offseason rust. In the bottom of the sixth Jacoby Ellsbury ran down Jhonny Peralta’s liner to shallow center, displaying his typical speed but failing to hold onto the ball once it was in his glove. With the bases loaded and one out in seventh Peralta grounded out to third. Jarrod Saltalamacchia deftly handled Kevin Youkilis’s throw but the catcher’s toss to first was too low, allowing a run to score instead of the turning of a 5-2-3 double play.

Doug Fister departed the game in the fourth inning after wrenching his back in an at bat against Ryan Sweeney. While Fister’s spell on the disabled list with a left costochondral strain may relieve the Tigers’ rivals in the AL Central, the Boston batters had no better luck against Duane Below. Adrian Gonzalez mustered a two-out single off Below in the sixth, but he was the only batter to reach in Below’s 2⅓ innings of relief.

The game was broadcast on Fox, quite early in the season to have to endure Joe Buck and Tim McCarver. Perhaps this exposure will work like a vaccination for future games with the pair.

Game 2: April 7, 2012
Boston Red Sox 0-2	0	L: Josh Beckett (0-1)
		2B: Jarrod Saltalamacchia (1)
Detroit Tigers 2-0	10	W: Duane Below (1-0)
		2B: Austin Jackson (1) HR: Miguel Cabrera – 2 (2), Prince Fielder – 2 (2), Alex Avila (1)