Shane McClanahan pitched six effective innings, Jose Siri and Wander Franco homered and the Tampa Bay Rays opened their 25th anniversary season by blanking the Detroit Tigers 4-0 on Thursday.
Miguel Cabrera, who began what he has said will be his final season, had one of Detroit’s six hits — a seventh-inning double — to catch up with Ichiro Suzuki for 23rd on the all-time list with 3,089 hits. .
McClanahan (1-0) allowed four hits, struck out six and walked one in his second opening day start.
Randy Arozarena and Luke Raley also drove in runs that were charged to Eduardo Rodríguez (0-1), who allowed Siri’s home run in the third inning.
Franco provided safety with a solo homer in the eighth inning.
For the Rays, who have advanced to the playoffs in the past four seasons, Thursday marked their silver anniversary celebration.
They wore old Devil Rays jerseys, worn in their first decade, and collided with the same opponent they faced in their first meeting, on March 31, 1998, at Tropicana Field.
For the Tigers, Puerto Rican Javier Báez 3-1. The Venezuelan Cabrera 4-1.
For the Rays, Cuban Yandy Díaz 2-0. The Dominicans Franco 4-2 with a run scored and an RBI, Manuel Margot 3-0, Siri 3-1 with a run scored and an RBI. The Mexicans Isaac Paredes 4-1 with a run scored, Arozarena 4-1 with an RBI. Colombian Harold Ramirez 2-0. Panamanian Christian Bethancourt 2-0.
