Zimmermann, Tigers Top Yankees To Win 8th Straight Home Opener
By NOAH TRISTER
AP Baseball Writer
DETROIT (AP) - Jordan Zimmermann was outstanding in his Detroit debut, Miguel Cabrera homered and the Tigers beat the New York Yankees 4-0 Friday to win their eighth straight home opener.
Zimmermann (1-0) allowed two hits and three walks in seven innings in his first start since leaving Washington and signing a $110 million, five-year deal with the Tigers.
Detroit has won three in a row to start the season. Nick Castellanos hit four singles for the Tigers.
Cabrera hit an RBI single in the first and a solo homer in the seventh. Luis Severino (0-1) allowed three runs and 10 hits in five-plus innings.
The Yankees gave Alex Rodriguez the day off, and Carlos Beltran was not in the starting lineup.
Moments after Kirk Gibson threw out the ceremonial first pitch, Zimmermann went to work on a 38-degree day at Comerica Park. Castellanos started things off with a sparkling defensive play, catching a foul flare behind third base while falling to the ground to retire leadoff man Jacoby Ellsbury.
Zimmermann slowed a team that totaled 27 runs and hit seven homers in its first three games of the year against Houston.
Severino allowed nine of his 21 runs last season in the first inning, and the Tigers took an early lead on Cabrera's one-out hit. Jose Iglesias hit an RBI single in the fourth, and Anthony Gose followed with a run-scoring groundout.
Cabrera's opposite-field drive in the seventh was his first homer of the year and came moments after Zimmermann threw his 100th and final pitch, striking out Chase Headley to end the top of the inning. Zimmermann struck out three.
Starlin Castro was moved from eighth to third in New York's lineup after driving in eight runs in his first three games of the season. He went 0 for 4 on Friday.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Yankees: Beltran struck out as a pinch-hitter to end the game. He and Rodriguez were held out of the starting lineup not because of injuries but because of what manager Joe Girardi called the "quick turnaround" from Thursday's home game against Houston.
Tigers: OF Cameron Maybin (left wrist) and RP Alex Wilson (right rotator cuff) began injury rehab assignments with Class A Lakeland on Thursday night. Pitcher Blaine Hardy (left shoulder) will make his first rehab outing Saturday.
UP NEXT
Yankees: CC Sabathia takes the mound Saturday against the Tigers in his first start since missing the postseason last year while undergoing alcohol rehabilitation.
Tigers: Detroit will start Mike Pelfrey, who left Minnesota this past offseason and signed with the Tigers as a free agent.
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