In the first inning, Cleveland Guardians slugger Jose Ramirez launched a three-run home run on a middle-middle 89.5 mph fastball from Detroit Tigers right-hander Michael Pineda.
Game over.
The Tigers were waxed by the Guardians, 10-0, in the third of four games at Progressive Field before the All-Star break. The Guardians scored eight runs across two innings against Pineda in the worst start of his nine-year MLB career.
“It was an ugly start to the game,” manager A.J. Hinch told reporters in Cleveland. “They did a good job of getting pitches to hit, and they didn’t miss. They hit some pretty hard balls off him and ended up scoring a bunch of runs early. Pretty good momentum team over there.”
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Meanwhile, the Tigers (37-55) mustered just five hits and three walks with nine strikeouts. Position player Harold Castro pitched a one-hit scoreless eighth on 10 pitches.
Owen Miller singled off Castro’s 51.1 mph eephus.
The Tigers — losers in eight of their past nine games — allowed at least 10 runs for the fifth time and were shut out for the 13th time this season. They have scored five runs in three games combined against Cleveland, all in a 6-5 loss Friday.
Guardians right-hander Cal Quantrill fired six scoreless innings on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts. Two relievers picked up where Quantrill left off, retiring six batters in a row with four strikeouts in the seventh and eighth innings.
In the ninth, Harold Castro drew a one-out against left-handed reliever Tanner Tully but was thrown out at home plate by center fielder Myles Straw while trying to score on Eric Haase’s ensuing double.
Jonathan Schoop struck out swinging to end the game.
The Tigers loaded the bases in the first inning on singles from rookie Riley Greene and Harold Castro and a two-out walk from Haase. But Schoop grounded into an inning-ending forceout to strand the runners.
After that, the Tigers failed to advance another runner into scoring position until Haase’s double in the ninth.
Haase opened the fourth inning with a single, but Schoop grounded into a double play. After Robbie Grossman worked a six-pitch walk, rookie Spencer Torkelson chased a changeup in the dirt for a swinging strikeout.
Torkelson, batting .197 in 83 games, went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. Greene finished 1-for-4 with three strikeouts. Haase reached base three times with a single, double and walk.
Pineda pounded
The first three batters were successful against Pineda: Steven Kwan (single), Amed Rosario (single) and Ramirez (three-run home run). The Guardians never looked back, and although Pineda retired the next three batters to end the inning, he surrendered five more runs in the second.
“The game turned pretty quickly,” Hinch said.
Just as in the first frame, the first three batters in the second reached safely.
Those five runs, for an 8-0 lead, were courtesy of Straw’s RBI double, Rosario’s two-RBI double and Ramirez’s second homer of the game. This time, he hammered Pineda’s changeup for a two-run blast.
Ramirez, who has 19 home runs this season, finished 2-for-4 with two homers and five RBIs.
“He’s one of the most elite players,” Hinch said. “Fun player, energy, body language, production. That’s why they signed him (to a contract extension in April). He’s a problem when you’re on the other side because of how good he is. He can handle both sides of the plate.”
Pineda allowed eight runs on nine hits over two innings, throwing 37 of 47 pitches for strikes. He did not allow a walk and struck out one batter. The Guardians entered Saturday with the highest contact rate (80.8%) in MLB this season.
Cleveland averaged a 96.1 mph exit velocity with Pineda on the mound.
“He just didn’t have it, from the get-go,” Hinch said. “From the beginning, he was battling himself. He threw some fastballs in fastball counts. He couldn’t quite land the pitches he needed to. He had an off day against an offense that puts the ball in play.”
Angel in the afternoon
Right-handed reliever Angel De Jesus, in his second MLB outing and first since being recalled from Triple-A Toledo, delivered a scoreless third inning but was tagged for two runs with two outs in the fourth.
Josh Naylor crushed a solo home run for a 9-0 lead. After Naylor went yard, De Jesus hit Andres Gimenez and then allowed back-to-back singles to Franmil Reyes and Nolan Jones.
The single from Jones put the Guardians ahead 10-0.
Right-handers Will Vest, Joe Jiménez and Jason Foley recorded 10 outs in a row, with Vest getting the final out of the fourth following De Jesus, before Harold Castro handled the eighth.
The Tigers have a bullpen-only game in Sunday’s series finale, with left-hander Tyler Alexander scheduled to start.
There aren’t any reinforcements coming from Triple-A Toledo.
“I don’t think we have anybody on the roster anymore,” Hinch said.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold. Read more on the Detroit Tigers and sign up for our Tigers newsletter.