Detroit Tigers: Three takeaways from Blue Jays series

Tigers pitching was pretty darn good. And, it stayed that way through all four games, despite the lack of offensive support.

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Jordan Zimmermann put on a clinic in game one. He pitched seven innings and gave up one hit – of course after color announcer Jack Morris announced to the world that he had a no-hitter going. By the time he was pulled, Zimmermann recorded a WHIP of 0.14 that looks quite nice next to his 0.00 ERA.

This start brought back memories of Zimmermann’s debut with the Tigers. Remember April 2016, when he finished April with an ERA of 0.55? Let’s hope he can keep it up and the injuries can stay away.

Spencer Turnbull got the start in game two. After five innings, he gave up four hits that recorded three earned runs. He also gave up one home run. For his first start, his performance wasn’t bad. With only five innings under his belt, his ERA of 5.40 doesn’t look great, but his 1.200 WHIP and .222 average against isn’t bad.

The game three starter – Matt Boyd – also pitched five innings, recording an ERA of 5.40. His ERA doesn’t tell the story of his start as he recorded 10 strikeouts.

Matt Moore got the start in game four, and he didn’t disappoint. Like Zimmermann, he had a no-hitter going until the 6th inning when Urena hit a single. In what seemed like a bad case of deja vu, the single was hit after Morris announced the no-hitter on the Tigers TV broadcast. Maybe Morris should remember the old rule and stay quiet when a no-hitter is happening in Tigerland. Like Zimmermann, Moore pitched seven innings and finished the game with a 0.00 ERA and WHIP of 0.43.

The starters weren’t the only pitchers who saw success. Daniel Norris pitched two innings out of the pen and Shane Greene earned his first two saves. Rookie Reed Garrett, who was picked up in the Rule-5 draft from the Texas Rangers, threw his first Major League pitch in the second game of the series. He faced three batters in the eighth, earned his first strikeout, and an ERA and WHIP of 0.000.

Only two relievers struggled out of the pen. Joe Jimenez and Blaine Hardy gave up too many hits that were converted into runs. But, their unusually high ERAs will drop as they see more time on the mound in the next few games.

Hopefully, the pitching keeps up and the hitting improves as the Tigers face the Yankees in New York as we enter April The first two games start at 6:35 EDT. You can catch your Tigers on Fox Sports Detroit and on locally affiliated radio stations. #MotorOn