Tigers literally drop Grapefruit League opener thanks to the sun
The first few weeks of spring training are typically defined by surprising performances, unlikely heroes and unintentionally entertaining plays. The latter two-thirds of that equation factored in significantly at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa on Wednesday, as the New York Yankees rallied from a seven-run deficit to defeat the Detroit Tigers 10-9 in their Grapefruit League opener with an assist from high above.
That’s right, it wasn’t some unknown minor leaguer who stepped up and did the damage for New York. It was actually one of baseball’s oldest and dearest friends who rose to the occasion: Mother Nature.
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All afternoon long, her powerful winds and bright shining sun wreaked havoc upon everyone, but it really took a toll on the Tigers. In particular, Detroit’s left fielders looked completely lost as they helplessly and hopelessly ran circles underneath fly balls, with results and reactions ranging from relief to disaster.
Unfortunately, it was disaster that struck on the final play of the game. With the score tied 9-9 and two outs in the ninth inning, New York’s Dustin Fowler hit a high, lazy fly ball in the direction of left fielder Jason Krizan. It was a routine play, even by first game of spring training standards, but the sun’s blinding rays won out. Krizan lost the ball, and as it deflected off his glove and rolled away, Tyler Wade was able to race around from first base to score the game-winning run.
Talk about a painful way to lose a game.
Even though spring games do not factor into the regular season standings, they still impact the players. Especially a guy like Krizan, who at 26 is still trying to create his own path to the big leagues. He wanted to stand out on Wednesday, but not like this. His unfortunate misplay will overshadow an otherwise good showing, as he contributed a double, walk and one run scored.
If Krizan can take solace in anything, it’s that he wasn’t alone. Just a few innings earlier, veteran outfielder Justin Upton wanted no part of a fly ball after losing it in the sun.
Overall, Upton has not made the strongest impression in early game action after signing a six-year, $132 million deal with Detroit this offseason. Aside from losing the fly ball, he’s hitless this spring in four at-bats, three of which resulted in strikeouts.
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Fortunately for him, he still has plenty of time to work out the kinks and plenty of leeway to work with.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
