Detroit Tigers vs. Atlanta Braves
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Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez, right, and pitching coach Jeff Jones ham it up in the outfield at the start of batting practice as the Detroit Tigers take on the Atlanta Braves at Champion Field in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Friday. (Robin Buckson / The Detroit News)
The Detroit Tigers take on the Atlanta Braves in Lake Buena Vista for their exhibition opener at 1:05 p.m. Follow along with coverage from Lynn Henning and Tom Gage.
It’s the seventh inning here at Disney. Still no Tigers hits. Still no score. Darin Downs was the latest Tigers pitcher to act as if he wanted to get out of here as rapidly as possible. He got all three of his batters in the sixth. Victor Martinez led off the seventh with a line-shot off the pitcher’s glove. Another ground-out for the Tigers. Martinez, though, has hit the ball hard in two of his three at-bats, the other of which saw him hit by a pitch. Miguel Cabrera hit a near-400-foot ball to center in the sixth. But that’s been it.
Melvin Mercedes, the heavyweight rookie right-hander, had an all-but unblemished fifth inning against the Braves. He got nicked for the game’s first hit, a leadoff single by Freddie Freeman, then struck out B.J. Upton, while Freeman was thrown out on an attempted steal at second. Dan Uggla was safe on an infield single before Juan Francisco grounded out. Two hits, no runs, and still a 0-0 game after five, with the Tigers hunting their first hit.
Still no runs, and no hits, through four innings for the Tigers. Victor Martinez came close in the fourth, after Prince Fielder walked: line drive to center. Brayan Pena also lined out to second base. But neither team has gotten a base hit as the Braves arrive against Luke Putkonen in the fourth.
Luke Putkonen, who might be the leader in the clubhouse to win a long-relief job with the Tigers, handled all three Braves batters in the third: ground-out to second, strikeout (Gerald Laird), and another ground-out. Fastball 94-95. Power guy who could easily get some starts in 2013.
Luke Putkonen, who has a shot at a now-vacant long-relief role for the Tigers, is Porcello’s replacement in the bottom of the third. Still 0-0. Tigers got their first two batters on base the past two innings but perished. Quintin Berry in the second missed a bunt and struck out to set up a deep fly to left by Omar Infante that was caught, and a 3-2 ground-out by Miguel Cabrera.
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