The 2019 Detroit Tigers will not be in the record books. John Hicks hit a grand slam in the bottom of the 12th to cap off a five-run inning and deliver a 8-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Comerica Park on Saturday evening. The victory, Detroit’s 44th of the season, guarantees that the current squad will not tie the 2003 team’s American League record of futility (43-119).
The game itself was a bit of a ride. Daniel Norris and Drew VerHagen combined to throw seven scoreless innings, further lending credence to the idea that this opener thing really works; if nothing else, I would hope that the NorHagen tandem has earned a further look in 2020.