DETROIT — Tattooed on Garrett Hill’s left arm is a baseball, with the seams colored red. Inscribed around it are the words Dignity, Respect, Pride and Honor. It offers a little window into what’s inside this bespectacled right-hander.
“My coach at Santa Rosa Junior College (Tom Francois) told me that’s what every man has, dignity, respect, pride and honor,” Hill said. “I took that to heart and thought it was super cool. That meant a lot to me.”
As he showed in a historically impressive big-league debut Monday at Comerica Park, there’s more here than what his studious exterior may suggest.
Barely recruited out of high school and a 26th-round draft pick in 2018, Hill was in Double-A Erie just a few weeks ago. But in six innings against the pesky-hitting Cleveland Guardians, Hill allowed only a solo home run to Josh Naylor and single in six innings.
In sending the Tigers to a 4-1 win over Central Division-rival Cleveland in Game 1 of the Fourth of July doubleheader, Hill became the first Tigers pitcher ever to work at least six innings and allow no more than two hits in his Major League debut.
He didn’t overpower anyone, getting three strikeouts, but Hill effectively mixed cutters, sinkers, changeups and a handful of curve balls with his four-seam fastball and got a lot of weak swings and soft contact.
The Guardians put 16 balls in play, 10 in the air, with an average exit velocity of 87 mph.
Naylor, who was Hill’s first strikeout victim, turned on a changeup and lined it over the right-field fence with two outs in the fourth. It was the third straight changeup Hill threw in the at-bat.
He finished six innings in an efficient 78 pitches and left with a 2-1 lead.
Hill got a little help from his defense in the third inning. A lot of help.
Speedy Myles Straw was on first base with two outs. Twice he got huge jumps trying to steal second. Hill was bailed out by a foul ball on the first one. On the second, shortstop Javier Báez nearly bought him an out with a clever deke.
As Straw was barreling in to second base, Báez stood there stoically, as if no throw was coming. Then he made a snap grab and quick tag. Straw just barely got in. It looked like a big play when Steven Kwan lined a single to left and Straw was ruled safe at the plate, beating an errant throw from left fielder Robbie Grossman.
Catcher Tucker Barnhart immediately motioned to the Tigers’ dugout to challenge the call. He was right. Barnhart made an incredible tag, contorting his body and lunging at Straw, tagging him on the hip. Straw chose not to slide.
The Tigers scored twice in the first inning against Cleveland starter Zach Plesac. With Riley Greene (walk) and Willi Castro (single) at second and third, Miguel Cabrera lined a single to left, scoring both. It was career hit No. 3,060 for Cabrera, tying him for 25th all-time with Craig Biggio.
The two RBIs put Cabrera in a tie with Manny Ramirez for 18th place all-time (1,831).
Plesac wasn’t in much trouble the rest of the way and posted his seventh straight quality start.
Jonathan Schoop, who came into the game hitting .191 and in a 3 for 24 rut, banged out four singles and scored the Tigers' third and fourth runs.
After he singled off reliever Sam Hentges in the seventh, he stole second (his second stolen base of the season) and advanced to third on a flyout to center by Greene.
Báez brought him home with a two-out, broken-bat single to center.
In the eighth, Schoop punched a two-out single to right and scored from first on a double into the left field corner by Barnhart off lefty Alex Young — just his eighth hit and second RBI of the season batting right-handed.
The Guardians didn't get a hit after Naylor's homer. Relievers Andrew Chafin (four outs), Michael Fulmer (two outs in five pitches) and Gregory Soto (two walks), who earned his 16th save, finished it off.
