Big-spending Tigers humbled at home
DETROIT (Reuters) - The Detroit Tigers were under no illusions about their performance in their first series of the new MLB season -- they stunk.
Despite being armed with the second-highest payroll in the American League, and third highest in the Major Leagues, they were swept out of their own ballpark by the Kansas City Royals after losing 4-1 on Thursday.
"We stunk. It's pretty simple," Detroit manager Jim Leyland told reporters at the end of the 3-0 series loss.
"We acted like a dead club. We looked like an old club. And we looked like we're not prepared. That's the manager's responsibility and I accept full responsibility for that."
The Detroit payroll jumped almost $40 million over last year, now standing at almost $138m for 2008 -- almost $80m more than the Kansas payroll.
They made one of the biggest trades of the off-season by acquiring slugger Miguel Cabrera and left-hander Dontrelle Willis from the Florida Marlins.
The addition of Cabrera, one of the best young hitters in baseball, gave Detroit a powerful lineup and made them the favorites to at least win the American League Central.
However the Tigers blew a lead on Opening Day, were then blanked on Wednesday and needed a late Brandon Inge home run to avoid another shutout as Kansas City righty Zack Grienke and two relievers stifled their bats.
"It's better that it happened now and not later," said Tigers first baseman Carlos Guillen. "We have to make adjustments."
GRANDERSON MISSING
The Tigers are playing without exciting leadoff hitter Curtis Granderson, out with a broken finger. They had chances to score on Thursday but went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position, 2-for-23 for the series.
Meanwhile, the Royals swept an opening road three-game series for only the second time after their success in Detroit in 1977, and gave new manager Trey Hillman a 3-0 record as a Major League skipper.
Few had figured the Royals would ever make it into first place, even for a day.
"We'll take that," Hillman said. "It's a challenge now to go out and play as consistently as we can."
(Writing by Mike Shalin in Boston; Editing by Ossian Shine)
