Detroit Tigers beat Chicago White Sox, 1-0, in Opening Day game

CHICAGO — Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Báez, who spent the first eight years of his career with the Chicago Cubs and always receives boos from Chicago White Sox fans when he travels to the South Side, caught a pop-up in shallow left field to end the second inning Thursday. He turned toward the third-base line and hurled the ball directly at the fans in the stands.

It wasn’t a souvenir.

Thankfully, there’s a net that protects the fans at Guaranteed Rate Field.

“I always have fun with everybody yelling at me,” Báez said. “I should have tried throw it a little higher, but I did try to throw it to the net. They were yelling good stuff, not so good stuff, but it’s always fun to compete against real fans that really care about you.”

Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Baez celebrates after scoring during the third inning of the Opening Day game against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field, Thursday, March 28, 2024 in Chicago.

The Opening Day antics from Báez brought about another round of boos from White Sox fans, then again moments later when he stepped to the plate as the leadoff hitter in the third inning. Báez slapped a ground-ball single into right field, stole second base and scored from third base on a sacrifice fly.

First appeared on www.freep.com

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