Down and out in Detroit: Yankees star Eduardo takes a hit to the body as the Tigers walk away easy winners
The New York Yankees uninspired start to the baseball season continued on Friday with a 8-3 defeat away to the Detroit Tigers.
Things could have been worse though after Eduardo Nunez, filling in for shortstop Derek Jeter, was hit on his right biceps by Fister's pitch in the fourth and left the game. X-rays were negative.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi had to help Nunez off the field after he was hit by a pitch from Tigers pitcher Doug Fister during the fourth innings in the Comerica Park opener.
Fortunately for Nunez and the Yankees, the X-rays were negative.
Prince Fielder hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the fifth inning and added a soaring, two-run shot in the seventh to lift the Tigers to an 8-3 win over the Yankees.
Fielder connected for his first two home runs of the season before a crowd of 45,051, the most on opening day in the 14 years of Comerica Park.
Doug Fister (1-0) allowed three runs on six hits – including Kevin Youkilis' two-run homer over five innings.
Drew Smyly pitched four perfect innings and struck out five for his first career save.
Ivan Nova (0-1) gave up four runs and five hits over 4 2-3 innings.
Boone Logan, the first batter to face Fielder in the fifth, allowed the slugger to put Detroit up 5-3.
Alex Avila, the second hitter to face Shawn Kelley in the sixth, homered deep into the right-field seats to put the Tigers ahead by three runs.
Fielder tagged Kelley for another shot the next time he came up.
The banged-up Yankees took another hit, too, on a sun-splashed, cool afternoon in the Motor City when Nunez was hit on his right biceps by Fister's pitch in the fourth and left the game.
Nunez was filling in for Derek
Jeter, who may not return to play for the Yankees until next month,
manager Girardi said before the series opener.
Jeter needs to go through a spring training-like schedule when he comes back from rehabilitating his broken left ankle.
Jeter was hurt in the AL championship series opener against Detroit last October while trying to field a groundball.
The Yankees have five All-Stars on the disabled list with Jeter joined by third baseman Alex Rodriguez (hip surgery), first baseman Mark Teixeira (wrist), outfielder Curtis Granderson (broken forearm) and pitcher Phil Hughes (back pain).
In front of their fired-up
fans, Detroit scored a run in the first and second innings and were held
scoreless in the next two innings.
The blue-and-orange clad fans groaned in the fifth when Fister allowed a run to score on a wild pitch and Youkilis homered to put the Yankees ahead 3-2.
Fielder gave them a reason to cheer in the home half of the inning and later on.
Things could have been worse though after Eduardo Nunez, filling in for shortstop Derek Jeter, was hit on his right biceps by Fister's pitch in the fourth and left the game. X-rays were negative.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi had to help Nunez off the field after he was hit by a pitch from Tigers pitcher Doug Fister during the fourth innings in the Comerica Park opener.
That had to hurt: New York Yankees' Eduardo
Nunez grimaces while helped to the dugout by manager Joe Girardi, left,
and assistant trainer Mark Littlefield
Prince Fielder hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the fifth inning and added a soaring, two-run shot in the seventh to lift the Tigers to an 8-3 win over the Yankees.
Fielder connected for his first two home runs of the season before a crowd of 45,051, the most on opening day in the 14 years of Comerica Park.
Doug Fister (1-0) allowed three runs on six hits – including Kevin Youkilis' two-run homer over five innings.
Drew Smyly pitched four perfect innings and struck out five for his first career save.
Ivan Nova (0-1) gave up four runs and five hits over 4 2-3 innings.
New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi looks over
Eduardo Nunez after he was hit by a pitch from Detroit Tigers starting
pitcher Doug Fister during the fourth inning of a baseball game in
Detroit on Friday
Alex Avila, the second hitter to face Shawn Kelley in the sixth, homered deep into the right-field seats to put the Tigers ahead by three runs.
Fielder tagged Kelley for another shot the next time he came up.
The banged-up Yankees took another hit, too, on a sun-splashed, cool afternoon in the Motor City when Nunez was hit on his right biceps by Fister's pitch in the fourth and left the game.
Eduardo Nunez has been filling in at shortstop for Derek Jeter for the Yankees and his x-rays came back negative
Jeter needs to go through a spring training-like schedule when he comes back from rehabilitating his broken left ankle.
Jeter was hurt in the AL championship series opener against Detroit last October while trying to field a groundball.
The Yankees have five All-Stars on the disabled list with Jeter joined by third baseman Alex Rodriguez (hip surgery), first baseman Mark Teixeira (wrist), outfielder Curtis Granderson (broken forearm) and pitcher Phil Hughes (back pain).
Panic in Detroit? The Yankees lost 8-3 to the Tigers on Friday
The blue-and-orange clad fans groaned in the fifth when Fister allowed a run to score on a wild pitch and Youkilis homered to put the Yankees ahead 3-2.
Fielder gave them a reason to cheer in the home half of the inning and later on.