Recap: Tigers crushed by Reds on Opening Day, 7-1

The Detroit News

Game summary

Sonny Gray made a fool of the Detroit Tigers in Friday night's season opener at Great American Ballpark, going 6.0 innings and striking out nine with just one earned run as the Cincinnati Reds beat up the Tigers, 7-1, on opening day.

Detroit starter Matthew Boyd loaded the bases with nobody out in the first before plunking former Tigers outfielder Nicholas Castellanos to force in the first run of the game, then gave up an RBI single to Mike Moustakas for the winning run.

Boyd (0-1, 7.20 ERA) settled in a bit after the first, finishing with six hits and four earned runs over 5.0 innings of work with just two strikeouts. Offseason acquisition C.J. Cron kicked off his Tigers debut with a bang, blasting a 447-foot solo home run in the fourth. Detroit finished with just three hits as a team.

In the first game against his old ball club, Castellanos went 1-for-2 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored. Mike Moustakas had three hits with four RBI and a home run for the Reds (1-0).

9th inning: Tigers put out of their misery with 1-2-3 ninth

Brooks Raley replaces Nate Jones on the mound for Cincinnati.

Jones' final line: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Raley gets out Jonathan Schoop on a pop fly to the second baseman. Miguel Cabrera strikes out swinging. C.J. Cron pops out to the pitcher to end the game.

Only 59 to go.

FINAL: Reds 7, Tigers 1

8th inning: Tigers down to three outs on opening day

Top 8th

Nate Jones comes on in relief for the Reds, replacing Lucas Sims.

Sims' final line: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Harold Castro comes in to pinch hit for Austin Romine and puts a charge into a first-pitch fastball from Jones, but it's caught at the warning track. JaCoby Jones grounds out to make it two down with nobody out.

Niko Goodrum goes down swinging to end the inning, his third strikeout of the game.

END T8: Reds 7, Tigers 1

Bottom 8th

Buck Farmer comes in to replace Gregroy Soto on the mound for Detroit.

Soto's final line: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Freddy Galvis pops out to lead off the inning. Curt Casali flies out to right. Two down. Farmer gets Shogo Akiyama on a groundout to retire the side.

END B8: Reds 7, Tigers 1

7th inning: New pitcher, same results as Reds reliever Lucas Sims shuts down Tigers

Top 7th

Lucas Sims comes in for Cincinnati, replacing Sonny Gray.

Gray's final line: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K

C.J. Cron walks to lead off the seventh. Sims climbs the ladder against Christin Stewart and gets the Tigers outfielder swinging with a 94 miles-per-hour fastball. Sims then gets Jeimer Candelario looking with a gorgeous curveball that paints the corner, low and away. Two down with a runner on first.

Cameron Maybin pops out to end the inning.

END T7: Reds 5, Tigers 1

Bottom 7th

David McKay comes on in relief for the Tigers' Jose Cisnero.

Cisnero's final line: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1K

McKay makes quick work of leadoff hitter Eugenio Suarez, getting the former Tiger on a line-out to right. Nick Castellanos walks to put a runner on first with one out.

Pinch-runner Travis Jankowski replaces Castellanos at first, then steals second with ease. Mike Moustakas blasts a homer to right, putting the Reds up 7-1. That'll be the end of McKay's night, as in comes Gregory Soto.

McKay's final line: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

Soto strikes out Jesse Winker and gets Nick Senzel to fly out to end the inning.

END B7: Reds 7, Tigers 1

6th inning: Tigers continue to come up empty at plate

Top 6th

Hey look, a leadoff strikeout.

This time it's Niko Goodrum who goes down looking on three straight pitches. Jonathan Schoop then strikes out swinging, making it four straight punch-outs for Reds starter, Sonny Gray. He retires the side by getting Miguel Cabrera to groundout to third.

End T6: Reds 4, Tigers 1

Bottom 6th

Jose Cisnero comes on in relief for Tigers starter Matthew Boyd.

Boyd's final line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

Jesse Winker grounds out to Jeimer Candelario to lead off the inning. Nick Senzel strikes out to make it two away with nobody on.

Freddy Galvis reaches base on a line-drive single to keep the inning alive. Cisnero then walks Curt Casali to put runners at first and second with two down.

Cisnero gives up a single that scores Galvis before getting Joey Votto to ground out to end the inning. The Reds get another valuable run on the board.

END B6: Reds 5, Tigers 1

5th inning: Gray's breaking ball making a fool of Tigers hitters

Top 5th

Cameron Maybin hits a hard grounder up the middle to lead off the inning, but he's done in by a shifted infield. One away. Austin Romine then takes an ugly cut at a 2-1 curveball for Sonny Gray's sixth strikeout of the game.

Gray gets JaCoby Jones swinging with another nasty breaking ball to retire the side.

End T5: Reds 3, Tigers 1

Joey Votto pulls a 2-0 fastball for a solo home run to lead off the fifth inning. Reds now lead 4-1.

Matt Boyd gets Eugenio Suarez swinging for his second strikeout of the night. One down. Tigers have Jose Cisnero up in the pen. Would have to think this is the last inning for Boyd, as he nears 80 pitches in his season debut.

Niko Goodrum makes a terrific play to stop a hard-hit ball from old pal Nick Castellanos, throwing the former Tigers outfielder out at first. Boyd retires the side with a groundout by Mike Moustakas.

End B5: Reds 4, Tigers 1

4th inning: C.J. Cron crushes home run in Tigers debut

Top 4th

Sonny Gray again starts the inning with a strikeout, getting Jonathan Schoop to fan on a fastball up and away. Miguel Cabrera grounds out to make it two down.

C.J. Cron absolutely crushes a sinker low and inside to left field for a home run in his Tigers debut. Reds lead, 3-1.

Christin Stewart walks, bringing up Jeimer Candelario. Candelario hits a hard line drive to center, but it's right at Reds outfielder Nick Senzel, as the Reds escape the inning with minimal damage.

END T4: Reds 3, Tigers 1

Bottom 4th

Nick Senzel lines out to Christin Stewart to lead off the bottom of the fourth. Matt Boyd then retires Freddy Galvis with a 2-2 fastball for the second out of the inning. Curt Casali walks with the bases loaded to keep the inning alive for Cincinnati.

Phillip Ervin flies out to center to end the inning.

END B4: Reds 3, Tigers 1

3rd inning: Castellanos double helps Reds grab 3-0 lead

Top 3rd

Austin Romine becomes the third Tiger in as many innings to lead off with a strikeout.

Jacoby Jones picks up Detroit's second hit of the evening, smacking a 1-2 breaking ball to right-center for a single. Niko Goodrum promptly shuts down the momentum with an inning-ending double play.

END T3: Reds 2, Tigers 0

Bottom 3rd

Matt Boyd gets Eugenio Suarez to ground out to third to start the third. Nicholas Castellanos doubles into the gap, then scores on a single from Mike Moustakas.

Matt Davidson grounds into a double play to end the inning.

END B3: Reds 3, Tigers 0

2nd inning: Tigers bats go down 1-2-3

Top 2nd

Christin Stewart opens things up for the Tigers to start the second. Stewart strikes out on a lethal 3-2 breaking ball in the dirt. Jeimer Candelario hits a weak grounder to second for the second out. Cameron Maybin strikes out to end the top of the second.

END T2: Reds 2, Tigers 0

Bottom 2nd

Curt Casali singles to left to start the bottom of the second. Phillip Ervin then flies out to Maybin for the first out of the inning. Joey Votto hits an absolute laser, but it's right to C.J. Cron. Cron steps on first for the inning-ending double play.

Boyd's ERA drops to 13.50 on the season.

END B2: Reds 2, Tigers 0

1st inning: Tigers trail Reds 2-0 after Boyd's shaky start

Top 1st

Sonny Gray throws inside to Niko Goodrum, and the 2020 Detroit Tigers season is officially underway.

Goodrum goes down swinging to open things for the Tigers. Jonathan Schoop smacks an 0-2 pitch to shallow right-center for a base hit. Schoop advances to second base on a breaking ball in the dirt to Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera walks a few pitches later.

CJ. Cron steps into the box for Detroit with runners at first and second and one down. Cron hits into a double play, ending the inning.

END T1: Tigers 0, Reds 0

Bottom 1st

Matthew Boyd walks Phillip Ervin to open his 2020 campaign, bringing up Joey Votto. Votto ropes one into right, putting runners at first and second with nobody out.

Former Tiger Eugenio Suarez settles into the box as Boyd looks to get out of some early trouble. He instead hits Suarez to load the bases, still with nobody out, as another former Tiger, Nicholas Castellanos, steps to the plate.

Boyd then hits Castellanos, forcing in Ervin from third.

It's going to be a long 60 games, folks. Strap in.

Boyd is having a really tough time commanding his breaking ball. He goes down 3-0 to Mike Moustakas before eventually allowing a bloop single that'll bring in Votto, making it 2-0, Reds. Bases still loaded with nobody out.

Matt Davidson flies out to the infield. Nick Senzel then hits a chopper to Jeimer Candelario; the Tigers third-basemen throws home for a force-out of Suarez. Bases loaded, two down.

Freddy Galvis grounds out to Goodrum, as Boyd finally retires the side.

END B1: Reds 2, Tigers 0

Pregame

Finally, it's Opening Day for the Detroit Tigers.

The Tigers and Cincinnati Reds face off at 6:10 Friday night at Great American Ball Park, kicking off the shortened 60-game 2020 season.

The News has all your coverage from beat writer Chris McCosky, columnist Bob Wojnowski and sports writer Nolan Bianchi, who will live blog all the action right here.

The game will be televised on Fox Sports Detroit and Fox 2, and will be on 97.1-FM.