DETROIT _ The more things change, the more they stay the same.
It was an otherwise outstanding Opening Day for the Detroit Tigers early Friday afternoon, with right-hander Michael Fulmer sensational, the team's offense manufacturing runs and a sold-out crowd at Comerica Park crazed as usual.
And then, the eighth inning rolled around.
And when it did, the Tigers' bullpen reverted back to its Achilles' heel of yesteryear, coughing up a four-run lead. And when it did, the Tigers came back.
After Francisco Rodriguez allowed a three-run home run to Pablo Sandoval in the road half of the eighth inning, the Tigers scored twice in the bottom half _ the winner on a JaCoby Jones bases-loaded walk _ to beat the Red Sox, 6-5.
The comeback was keyed with two outs, when Victor Martinez and Justin Upton walked consecutively. Then, pinch-hitter Mikie Mahtook doubled to leffield to tie the game. After James McCann walked to load the bases, Jones drove in the go-ahead run with his plate discipline.
The Tigers were in complete control entering the eighth inning, when the bullpen baton was passed to Bruce Rondon. Accused with blowing the lead were, in no particular order, Rondon, closer Francisco Rodriguez and yes, manager Brad Ausmus.
After Rondon was ineffective � allowing three baserunners, two runs, recording one out � righty Alex Wilson was called on for damage control. After a single and a strikeout, standing one out away from escaping the inning, Ausmus did what he didn't want to do early in the season: Call on Rodriguez for a four-out save.
He could not deliver. Ahead no balls and two strikes, Sandoval hit a three-run home run to left-center field.
Ausmus' move to Rodriguez was curious in this respect: Sandoval, a switch-hitter, has better career numbers hitting right-handed pitching. Bringing in a left-hander would have flipped his stance. The only lefty left in the Tigers had in their bullpen was Blaine Hardy.
Also, of Rodriguez's six home runs allowed in 2016, five came against lefty hitters.
The career numbers were a small sample size: Sandoval had never faced Wilson, but was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts against Rodriguez.
The eighth inning happenings overshadowed an outstanding performance by Fulmer, who threw six scoreless innings, allowing four hits.
Fulmer attacked with mid-90-mph fastballs from the outset, rarely relying on an improved changeup, and despite battling his command at points, was about as effective as Ausmus could have asked from the second-year pitcher.
He struck out four and walked two.
The Tigers' spotted him a run in the first inning, when Ian Kinsler scored on a Martinez sacrifice fly. One batter earlier, Kinsler _ who led the half-inning off with a single up the middle, advancing to second on a Nick Castellanos walk _ advanced to third base on a foul fly to right field.
Martinez got the job done again in the sixth inning, driving in Castellanos on a single to left field against Boston knuckleballer Steven Wright.
An inning later, after lefty Justin Wilson threw an effective inning of scoreless relief, James McCann cushioned the lead with his first home run of the season, a two-run shot on first-pitch fastball deposited into the Tigers bullpen in left.
Then the eighth inning came around. And when it ended, the Tigers were ahead.
The ninth inning wouldn't come without drama: With a single and a double, the Red Sox put runners on second and third base with two outs. But Rodriguez didn't break, retiring Chris Young for the win.
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