Tigers pitchers put clamps on Cardinals for Opening Day triumph

Chris McCosky, The Detroit News on Apr 3, 2026

Published in Baseball

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DETROIT — The Tigers’ 2026 home opener at Comerica Park checked all the boxes Friday.

Weather, check: Clear, sunny, 70 degrees at first pitch.

Atmosphere, check: Electric. Festive. Sellout crowd of 45,008, the largest for a home opening since 2017.

Fans gave new lefty Framber Valdez a big ovation on his way to his pre-game warmups, on his way back from his warmups and when he was announced before the game.

The loudest cheers came when Tarik Skubal and Justin Verlander were announced back-to-back. Skubal’s ovation was a mixture of cheers and "Skuuubs," Verlander’s was a full cascade of hearty cheers.

Rookie Kevin McGonigle drew an enthusiastic roar, as well.

The most precious moment was the ceremonial first pitch. Brandon Inge threw it, Verlander caught it. It was like 2011 all over again.

Positive outcome, double-check.

The Tigers snapped a four-game losing streak, riding six shutout innings from Valdez and a mammoth two-run homer by Dillon Dinger to a 4-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Valdez, expertly distributing sinkers, curveballs and change-ups to a right-handed heavy lineup, allowed only three singles with five strikeouts and eight ground-ball outs.

He got into trouble one time and it was by his own doing. He gave up a leadoff single to Alec Burleson and after striking out the next two hitters, got Yohel Pozo to hit a hard ground ball to Spencer Torkelson at first.

Valdez hustled over but muffed the throw from Torkelson at first base. The ball appeared to hit the fingers of his pitching hand before it got to the back of his glove. Tigers trainer Ryne Eubanks came out to examine Valdez and he stayed in the game, though he walked Thomas Saggese to load the bases.

He got Jose Fermine to fly out softly to left field and breezed through his final two innings.

As he walked off after a six-pitch sixth inning, he saluted the fans as they rose to give him one last ovation for the day.

He is the first Tiger to post a quality start in the home opener since Michael Fulmer in 2017.

The Tigers' offense took a couple of innings to break through against Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy, who in his debut last week pitched six no-hit innings.

McGonigle brought the crowd to its feet, hitting a 403-foot shot leading off the bottom of the first inning. But center fielder Victor Scott II tracked it down at the wall.

The Tigers nearly scratched a run across in the third, but Javier Baez (who had two hits and an RBI) was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second on a two-out single by Gleyber Torres. Cardinals right-fielder Jordan Walker threw a 100-mph seed to the plate to cut down Baez.

At that point, the Tigers had not scored in 18 straight innings.

That changed in the fourth. After a ringing double by Riley Greene, Dingler unloaded on a sweeper from McGreevy and drove it 433 feet over the visitors’ bullpen in left-center. His second homer of the season, the ball left Dingler’s bat at 105.9 mph.

The Tigers added another run in the fifth on an RBI single by Greene. It was his 500th career hit.

McGonigle started the rally with a one-out double but he was thrown out trying to get to third on a ground ball to the pitcher by Torres.

Cardinals manager Ollie Marmol, with left-handed hitters Kerry Carpenter and Greene coming up, brought in lefty reliever Justin Bruihl.

Carpenter singled Torres to third and Greene ripped his single up the middle.

Greene hit the ball hard in each of his four at-bats, with exit velocities of 94, 111, 97.9 and 108.9 mph.

All that was left was for the bullpen to secure the win. Which it did without drama. Will Vest (seventh), Kyle Finnegan (eighth) and Tyler Holton (ninth) closed it down.

They should all be that smooth.