Price Dominates In Opening Day Debut For Tigers; Ausmus, Players Impressed
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
CBS DETROIT -- In his Opening Day debut for the Detroit Tigers, David Price proved himself 100 percent worthy of his new role as the number one man in the rotation, allowing zero runs over 8 2/3 innings in a 4-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins.
"It constantly looks like he's hitting his spots," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said after the game. "When he misses, he misses enough that the hitter doesn't get on it. He's one of the best in the game for a reason. I think he showed that today."
A number of the 45,030 in attendance Monday booed vociferously when Ausmus walked out to the mound to check on Price in the ninth inning. When Ausmus left Price in the game with one out to go, the crowd cheered. Ausmus told Price, however, that he would be done after facing his next batter.
Joe Mauer got a hit, and closer Joe Nathan replaced Price and earned the save.
The crowd would have liked to see a complete-game shutout by Price, and Price would have been happy to try for it, but Ausmus said he did not want to risk Price getting into a higher pitch count than what might be comfortable in his first start of the regular season.
"Before the game, we were talking about 100 to 105 [pitches]," Ausmus said. "I just didn't want to get caught where all of a sudden he has a 14-pitch at bat against somebody and he's at 112. So [I] checked on him to make sure he was okay to face Mauer, just because we're fresh out of spring training. He said he was good. Then I told him at that time that would be his last hitter. So he knew when I left, and then [I] gave Joe the opportunity to get the righty."
Several stellar defensive plays helped Price keep a perfect game going into the fifth inning. In the third inning, outfielder Yoenis Cespedes reached over the wall and snagged what would have been a home run, and in the fourth inning, second baseman Ian Kinsler showed off his vertical leap when he snagged a rising line drive that would have been a hit.
"Defense -- that sets the tone," Price said. "The first out of the game, a screamer to [third baseman] Nick [Castellanos] and he catches it. Cespedes, obviously the homer, robbing that is huge, but the first hit that I gave up to [Kennys] Vargas, that's a ball that bounces off the left field wall in foul territory, and he gets over there and holds him to a single. That's huge. At the time, there was one out, so I'm still one pitch away from getting out of that inning. Plays like that are always enormous. [Shortstop Jose] Iglesias and Kinsler, that was awesome."
Price got the nod to start Opening Day over longtime rotation leader Justin Verlander, who won the Cy Young and MVP in 2011 but struggled mightily last season. Before Monday, Verlander had started in seven straight season openers.
Now working to get back to form after suffering a triceps strain during spring training, Verlander was not at the game Monday, but Ausmus had decided to go Price before Verlander's injury occurred.
The numbers both pitchers produced last season -- Price had an ERA of 3.26 and 271 strikeouts, while Verlander had an ERA of 4.54 and 159 strikeouts -- made the decision to go with Price a call that few would dispute.
Even so, it certainly did not hurt that Price -- in his first start as the team's number one pitcher -- went out and delivered a gem.
"That was huge," Price said. "I know Ver has thrown the ball extremely well for this organization for seven, eight, nine years, however long he's been here. When we get him back, he'll be a big boost for our team. I was very appreciative to get the nod for Opening Day and I definitely wanted to come out here and put my best foot forward for our team, our organization and this city, and that's what we were able to do today."
It would be a stretch to say Verlander does not care at all that he has been bumped to the number two spot in the rotation, but Avila said it is not as big of a deal as it might seem.
"They do get along great," Avila said. "They both are competitors, and they both like to compete against each other. The thing about that whole number one, two, three, four -- after today it really doesn't matter because you're going to have guys go out there, and they're your number one that day. That's the way we look at it."
Avila agreed, however, that there was something significant in Price establishing himself as Detroit's new number one Monday.
"He had a great outing, but he's been pretty well established before, so I wasn't concerned," Avila said. "I know what you mean, especially with Justin having done it for the last few years. I'm sure [Price] had some butterflies, but that just comes with the territory. I was happy to see him come out and do well.
"To be honest with you, I expect that all the time out of a guy like David," Avila added. "It's a lot more fun to catch him than it is to hit against him, so that's always good."
Outfielder J.D. Martinez also had nothing but compliments for Price.
"Amazing," Martinez said. "Lights-out. Typical David.
"It's hard to expect that from him every time out," Martinez added, "but he does it almost every time out, so he's a great pitcher. He's a horse. Like I said earlier, that's why he gets paid a lot of money."
