Detroit – Framber Valdez has already been given the 411 on what Opening Day is all about in Detroit.
“Fiesta,” he said, which needed no translation.
Indeed.
Valdez, the $115 million lefty who will get the ball for the home opener Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals, will be seeing Comerica Park like he’s never seen it before. In fact, he’s never been inside the home clubhouse before.
“I’m not worried about that,” he said, through interpreter Carlos Guillen. “The most important part for me is to get together with my guys, my teammates and get comfortable with everything. I am excited for it.”
The environment might be different, but the task will very familiar. He was the Houston Astros’ Opening Day starter four times.
“Framber is going to be just fine,” manager AJ Hinch said. “It will be nice for our whole group to get home. It’s been about an eight and a half-week road trip. So we’re going to be anxious to get moved into our places and get settled.”
It’s been a rather insane start the season, travel-wise. Not just the opening series in San Diego and Arizona, where the Tigers went 2-4. It was the trips to the Dominican Republic and Fort Myers in spring training. It was the two exhibition games against the Colorado Rockies in Scottsdale, Ariz., before heading to San Diego.
And for players like Jahmai Jones (Japan and Miami), Gleyber Torres, Enmanuel De Jesus and Kenley Jansen (Miami), Tarik Skubal and Will Vest (Houston and Miami), there was another layer to the travel – the World Baseball Classic.
“I think everybody is ready to get home,” Hinch said with a wry smile. “It’s a big three-game homestand before we hit the road again.”
The Tigers, who have a four-game series in Minnesota next week, will play 10 of their first 13 games on the road.
But that won’t dampen the enthusiasm for Friday.
“Just very excited,” Torres said. “As a team, we want to see our fans at Comerica. It’s going to be so special. We want to get some love from our fans.”
Tigers’ fans, as Torres pointed out, traveled very well to both Petco Park and Chase Field, where “Let’s go Tigers” chants rang out in all six games.
“Detroit fans show up,” Torres said. “But Comerica is always special on Opening Day. I’m excited. But I just want to get my normal time and see my family.”
Friday will also be the home debut of rookie Kevin McGonigle, who in the first six games went 8 for 22 (.364) with two doubles, a triple, four runs scored and five runs driven in. He’s also played strong defense, particularly at third base.
“He’s a hell of a player,” Skubal said. “I’m going to say it every time you guys ask me about him.”
McGonigle helped get Skubal out of a potential mess in the second inning on Wednesday, making a diving stop of a hard ground ball going toward the third base line. He got up quick and started an improbable 5-4-3 double-play.
“What he can do in the batter’s box is impressive,” Skubal said. “But the stuff he’d doing on the field at third base, that’s pretty impressive, too, especially since I don’t think he played there much in the minor leagues. He’s impressive to watch.”
Skubal, who has already made two starts including a tough 1-0 loss Wednesday to the Diamondbacks, has started the Tigers’ season-opener the last three years, and the home opener in 2024. But he’s going to be partially in fan-mode this weekend – not only for the home opener, but also because Justin Verlander makes his home debut on Sunday night, a game broadcast nationally on Peacock.
“I don’t know which one I’m more excited for,” he said. “Just the fan in me, right? As much as I play this game, I am a fan of the game, as well. I feel the same emotions a lot of people feel. I expect both of them to be great. Even if it’s 40 degrees, it’s what our fans are good at.
“They don’t really care about the weather, they’re here to support our guys.”
@cmccosky
Cardinals at Tigers
Series: Three games at Comerica Park.
First pitch: Friday-Saturday – 1:10 p.m.; Sunday – 7:20 p.m.
TV/radio: Friday-Saturday – Detroit Sports Net/97.1 (also on Fox 2 on Friday); Sunday – Peacock/97.1.
Probables: Friday – RHP Michael McGreevy (0-0, 0.00) vs. LHP Framber Valdez (0-0, 1.50); Saturday – RHP Dustin May (0-1, 13.50) vs. RHP Jack Flaherty (0-1, 4.15); Sunday – RHP Kyle Leahy (0-1, 7.20) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (0-1, 12.27).
McGreevy, Cardinals: The 25-year-old had quite a season debut, six no-hit innings against the Rays. He leaned on his sinker (89 mph), changeup, four-seamer (90 mph) and cutter. Typically, he throws sinkers, sweepers and changeups to right-handed hitters; four-seam, changeup, cutter slider to lefties.
Valdez, Tigers: This will be the fifth opening-day start for Valdez, the previous four with the Astros. He grinded out his Tigers’ debut, allowing just one earned run in six innings against the Padres last Friday. He won the big battles but uncharacteristically got only five ground-ball outs. This will be his third career start against the Cardinals (0-2, 9.90) and his seventh start at Comerica Park (2-2, 3.69).
