I hadn't quite seen an opening set of games like that before. If this is a season of destiny for the Tigers, well, it certainly got a storybook beginning.
I caught parts of the Thursday game - the first two or three innings and the ninth. I had to leave just as Verlander started to get that Look. You know, the one where he's found his groove. I got back in time to see that Valverde blew the save and the Tigers come back up to bat.
I watched all of both weekend games.
Here's what I learned:
1) Verlander looks dominant.
This guy doesn't seem to have skipped a beat. He'll have bad days, but he looks like he's ready to win another AL Cy Young.
2) Valverde's blown save is a blessing in disguise.
Mark my words on this - having the pressure of no blown saves in 52 attempts, in more than a calendar year, was not something we wanted on Papa Grande. By blowing the first save of the year, everyone can laugh it off, Valverde can relax, and he'll be fine the rest of the way.
3) Cabrera and Fielder really are two of the best hitters in the game.
Cabrera looks ready to go. One of the Fox Sports Detroit announcers said this might be the year he wins an MVP. If he plays with this intensity all year, I agree. Fielder, likewise, looks dialed in and ready go. What's amazing is how relaxed both look. And it's not just the HRs - both of them just know how to get it done, like Fielder's single in the 11th yesterday.
4) The clubhouse chemistry seems top-notch.
Everyone seems really relaxed. Given, they're winning. But still, no one seems like they feel like they need to hold the team on their shoulders. Everyone seems to be comfortable relying on each other. And they all look like they're having fun. A happy clubhouse with a team that stacked? Scary.
5) Is there a weak spot in the lineup?
Nope. There just isn't. If Austin Jackson halves his strikeout numbers and keeps hitting (not at a .560 clip, but at, say, a .300 clip) it'll make this team even more dangerous. And who are you pitching around past that? Boesch? Young? Avila? Peralta? Raburn? The only weak spot is the 9-hole and it's still better than many.
6) Don't overreact to the Fister injury.
It's early in the season and the guy pulled a rib muscle. Later in the year, this might not even be a DL trip. But right now? No reason not to play it safe.
7) Don't overreact to Scherzer's first outing.
Guy had a bad game, probably got overconfident from the big lead. It's one game and he was relatively solid last season. Like Porcello, though, he's going to have bad days.
8) The bullpen is much improved.
Sure, they gave up some runs. But this bullpen is vastly improved over the 2011 incarnation... and that's without Al Alburquerque. This is not the glaring weak point it was last year.
9) Boston isn't as good as people think.
This is a very mediocre Boston team. Trouncing them doesn't mean the same thing it would have meant two or three years ago.
10) Tampa Bay will provide a better test to gauge this team by.
One of the best pitching teams against one of the best hitting teams. Tampa is a better team than Boston this year (by a lot). Let's see how the Tigers hit against that squad.
There's still a lot of season left, but it's hard not to be encouraged by the most exciting Opening Weekend ever, right? And after two walk-off wins and one dominant shutout, why not? Let's enjoy it and see how the Tampa set goes.
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