The Detroit Tigers fell to four games below .500 on Friday, as the New York Yankees took game one of the weekend series with a 9-4 victory at Comerica Park.
After opening the game with a Danny Worth RBI single, Detroit was put in an immediate hole after rookie starter Casey Crosby served up a grand slam to former Tiger Curtis Granderson in the second inning. Down 5-1, the Tigers were unable to mount a serious comeback until the later innings.
Aside from giving up six earned runs and four walks over 3.1 innings pitched, Crosby flashed enough potential to warrant Jim Leyland's bold decision to slot him against a stacked Yankees lineup in the first place. Crosby did manage to fan three New York hitters in his brief stint on the mound, and ultimately settled in after giving up the blast to Granderson.
On the positive side, Detroit outfielder Quintin Berry ended the game a home run short of the cycle, finishing with a 3-for-5 performance that pulled his average up to .364. Berry remains one of the most impressive spark plugs atop the order that Detroit fans have seen in a very long time, and will be hard pressed to keep out of the lineup even after injured outfielder Austin Jackson returns.
Now just 11-13 at home this season and desperate for a win, the Tigers will send ace Justin Verlander to the mound for Saturday's 1:05 pm ET first pitch in game two.
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