Peralta’s ‘E’ opens door for the Tigers

By Paul Hoynes

The Cleveland Plain Dealer

DETROIT

Jhonny Peralta never had a problem with Comerica Park. He’s a ballplayer in need of a place to play. It’s a ballpark with an inviting patch of green to play on.

Sounds like a perfect relationship, but lately things have been rocky. In September, Peralta made three errors in one game for the first time in his career. The setting was Comerica Park.

On Friday, the symmetry of three struck again as Detroit beat the Indians in its home opener, 5-2, in 38-degree weather. Peralta didn’t make three errors this time, but his throwing error with the bases loaded in the fifth inning allowed three runs to score even while left-hander David Huff had one foot out the door in what would have been an impressive escape from the Tigers’ bats.

“Jhonny makes that play all the time,” said Huff. “He makes that play in his sleep.”

The Indians entered the bottom of the fifth with a 2-0 lead against Rick Porcello. Last year, Porcello was 3-0 against them, but Friday, the Indians were able to get some work done against him. Travis Hafner hit a leadoff homer in the second, and Mike Redmond doubled home a run in the fifth.

Detroit’s Brandon Inge started the fifth with an infield single to short. Gerald Laird forced him at second with a grounder to third. Scott Sizemore and Adam Everett followed with soft singles to load the bases. Laird scored to make it 2-1 on Austin Jackson’s infield single.

Huff retired Johnny Damon on a broken-bat pop-up to second for the second out. Then Magglio Ordonez sent his grounder to third with the runners moving. Peralta bobbled it, picked it up and made a wild throw past first baseman Andy Marte. Sizemore, Everett and Jackson scored for a 4-2 lead.

“I made a bad throw,” said Peralta. “I thought Ordonez ran better than that. I knew I had time to make the throw, but I rushed.”

Once the Tigers had the lead, there was no catching them.

Huff allowed four runs on six hits in six innings. Only one run was earned.

“David did an outstanding job,” said Indians manager Manny Acta. “He used both sides of the plate and had very good command of his fastball. That’s what we want to see.”