Detroit 3, Miami 1: Tigers pitchers off to strong start this spring

This is one of those games where you don't know what to write for the headline.

What, exactly, would you say you do here?

Win meaningless games. Often.

Following a start by Rick Porcello, fifth-starter candidates Drew Smyly and Casey Crosby each threw two scoreless innings. Both allowed two hits. Smyly struck out one. Crosby walked one, struck out two. Porcello, by the way, forced six groundouts, and Crosby had four.

If you're scoring at home, Daniel Schlereth struck out two in a perfect inning on the mound.

The Tigers plated all their runs in the second inning. A single by Brandon Inge and double by Danny Worth got it started. A double by Eric Patterson and single by Austin Jackson kept it going. After a pitching change by the Marlins in the inning, Andy Dirks and Don Kelly both made outs to end the inning.

Fans of scoring were disappointed the rest of the game. Not that it matters come April, but the Tigers have started well in run prevention. Through four Grapefruit League, they've given up just six runs. They're 4-0 in those contests.

Miami's Bryan Petersen went 0-for-2. The only reason I point that out is to segue to the second episode of SBN's The Petey and LoMo Show, after the jump.