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DETROIT -- Updates from Tigers-Royals:
Ninth inning
Game. Set. Match. The Tigers take opening day in dramatic fashion after Alex Gonzalez hit a walk-off single with one out in the ninth inning to beat the Royals, 4-3. Go figure. The 37-year-old plates the 23-year-old. Stay tuned to MLive.com for full coverage from today's game. Tigers 4, Royals 3.
Eighth inning
Miguel Cabrera drew a two-out walk, but was stranded on first after Victor Martinez popped out to shallow left. It'll be interesting to see who Brad Ausmus elects to put on the mound in the ninth with the game tied at 3-all. My guess? Joe Nathan. Tigers 3, Royals 3.
Seventh inning
Alex Gonzalez, the Tigers' 37-year-old newly acquired shortstop, tied the game at 3-all with an RBI triple. Yes, you read that right. Thirty-seven years old. Triple. It was the second triple of the inning after Austin Jackson hit a one-out triple and scored on a wild pitch to cut the Royals' lead to one. Tigers 3, Royals 3.
Sixth inning
That should be it for Verlander, who exited the mound in the sixth with 105 pitches under his belt after an inning-ending strikeout by Nori Aoki. When Verlander walked down the staircase into the dugout, he didn't receive a handshake from Ausmus, but I suspect his day is done. Evan Reed is warming up in the bullpen, and I imagine he'll take over in the seventh. Royals 3, Tigers 1.
Fifth inning
Here's your daily reminder: Do not test Alex Gordon's arm. Nick Castellanos committed his first baserunning gaffe this season when he tried to stretch a single into a double after a liner to the wall in left field. Bad idea. Gordon gunned him down. The play could've been challenged, but it was pretty apparent that Castellanos was out by a mile. Royals 3, Tigers 1.
Fourth inning
Panic in Panic Town! Verlander worked himself into a fourth-inning jam, walking three, including Omar Infante with the bases loaded. It was a 33-pitch inning for Verlander, who is charged with only one of the three runs scored. It should be noted that nine of his 33 pitches were thrown after a costly two-out error by Alex Gonzalez, who drew a hearty amount of boos. Royals 3, Tigers 1.
Third inning
Tigers go down in order, 1-2-3, for a scoreless third. Ian Kinsler sent a fastball from Shields to deep right field, but it died before the warning track. It probably would've cleared the wall at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Tigers 1, Rangers 0.
Second inning
Detroit is on the board early after Victor Martinez crushed a 1-0 pitch off James Shields over the wall in left-center to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. It's Martinez's first career homer off Shields and his first homer from the cleanup spot since 2010. As MLB.com's Jason Beck noted, Martinez didn't hit his first home run last year until May 4 -- spanning 125 plate appearances. Tigers 1, Royals 0.
First inning
Verlander tossed a scoreless first and consistently hit 92 mph with his four-seamer. It'll likely touch the mid 90s later in the game when his arm begins to warm up. He gave up a two-out double to Eric Hosmer, but it looked like Austin Jackson got a bad jump on it and probably should've caught it. Tigers 0, Royals 0.
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