DETROIT _ They saved their boos.
Those who attended Friday night's series opener between the Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays at Comerica Park did not boo Jordan Zimmermann when he was chased in the third inning, or the Tigers' offense, which was shut down again, instead canning their displeasure for the top of the sixth inning.
And among the lowlights in their 27th loss at home in the past 30 games was a five-run sixth, which featured not one, but two lazy lapses of judgment.
First, rookie left fielder Christin Stewart made an errant throw to third base following an RBI single from Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. Two baserunners advanced on the play, leading manager Ron Gardenhire to bury his head in his hands.
Then, on a soft ground out to first base that would have ended the inning, reliever Victor Alcantara slowed down in covering first base and was beaten to the bag for an infield single.
As the final score indicated, the Tigers did not put up a fight. They lost, 12-1.
Zimmermann's struggles continued, allowing six runs on seven hits and four walks, and he left with two outs in the third inning. The Tigers (29-64) totaled eight hits. Once again, the veteran righty didn't have much _ especially his slider _ and it was another tough outing. Sure, there were plays his defense could have made _ none considered routine _ but right now, Zimmermann lacks confidence and the pitches to attack hitters aggressively. He's nibbling around the zone, walking more batters than ever, and it will remain a struggle until he can rediscover his slider.
Per usual, Toronto (37-62) traveled a lot of fans, and on this night, righty Marcus Stroman was the name to watch. Stroman was being scouted by a number of contenders and pitched well, throwing seven scoreless innings. Guerrero, Jr., baseball's most exciting young phenom, went 3 for 5 with three runs scored and made a nice play at third base.
