Tigers overcome bullpen collapse to win opener, 8-7, in 11 innings

MIAMI – The Detroit Tigers overcame a 9th inning bullpen collapse Tuesday to secure an 8-7 win on Opening Day against the Miami Marlins.

The Tigers jumped on Miami starter Wei-Yin Chen early. Ian Kinsler greeted the lefty with a leadoff single and Justin Upton followed with a double to right in his first Tigers at-bat. Miguel Cabrera drove in the first run of the season with a groundout to shortstop.

In the second inning, Anthony Gose and Justin Verlander each hit two-out singles before Kinsler struck again, this time crushing a three-run homer to left.

Upton set up another run in the top of the 5th, leading off with a double, moving to third on a deep J.D. Martinez fly ball and scoring on a Nick Castellanos sac fly.

Despite the offensive outbreak, pitching was the story through five innings. Verlander breezed through the Marlins lineup twice, allowing just a pair of walks and no hits heading into the 6th inning.

But after a long at-bat by Ichiro to start the 6th, Dee Gordon broke up the no-hitter with a double and Marcell Ozuna put the Marlins on the board with an RBI single. Giancarlo Stanton put a charge into Marlins Stadium with a no-doubt two-run homer to pull Miami back within two, but Verlander managed to get out of the inning by inducing a groundout to shortstop.

After that, it was up to the new-look bullpen.

Justin Wilson handled the 7th inning with ease, striking out two and inducing a ground ball to strand a leadoff single.

In the 8th, Mark Lowe served up a leadoff triple to Dee Gordon, who scored two batters later on a Christian Yelich sac fly. Lowe got out of the inning by striking out Stanton on three pitches, including a nasty slider to polish it off.

The Tigers gave new closer Francisco Rodriguez some breathing room in the top of the 9th. Anthony Gose hit a monster home run into the upper deck and pinch hitter Victor Martinez followed up with a blast of his own. The back-to-back homers gave Detroit a 7-4 lead.

But it wasn't enough. Rodriguez gave up four hits and three runs in the 9th to blow his first save opportunity as a Tiger. If not for a leaping grab by Upton in left, the Marlins would have walked off before extra innings.

Drew VerHagen pitched around a leadoff single in the bottom of the 10th, and the Tigers took another lead in the top of the 11th. Gose led off with a great at-bat, drawing a walk and moving to 2nd on a Mike Aviles pinch-hit sac bunt. Moments later, Gose trotted home on a Kinsler RBI single.

Starting pitcher Shane Greene came out of the bullpen for the 11th and slammed the door, pitching a 1-2-3 inning for his first save. It was Greene's first career save.

The Tigers and Marlins will finish their two-game series Wednesday evening as Anibal Sanchez squares off with star right-hander Jose Fernandez.