The Detroit Tigers sent newly-acquired left-handed pitcher Matt Boyd to the mound against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday. Boyd dominated in his debut and snagged the win over Johnny Cueto and the Royals. 

The lefty youngster never trailed in his Tigers debut. The team got off to a 1-0 lead after Anthony Gose hit a triple to score Tyler Collins.

The 24-year-old went 7.0 strong innings, giving up just one run on seven hits. Boyd did not walk a Royals hitter. He is now 1-2 on the season and has already improved himself to a 7.90 ERA. He walked off the field after the seventh inning to a standing ovation. 

“Just how grateful I am,” said the rookie, who beat the Royals for his first Major League win in his Tigers’ debut. “Just awesome. I told Daniel Norris, ‘It feels like we’re home.’ This place was rocking. It meant a lot that they did that. It’s something I will never forget.”

Boyd pitched two games with the Toronto Blue Jays before coming to Motown in a deal that sent away David Price. In those two games, Boyd gave up a combined 11 earned runs on 15 hits and one walk over 6.2 innings pitched. 

“The most important thing for young players, especially pitchers, is slowing the game down,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. “The game only happens — especially for a pitcher — only happens as fast as you allow it to happen.  You can’t let the game speed up in your mind. A lot of times, that just means taking a breath and slowing things down.”

In the fourth inning, the Royals tied the game. Designated hitter Kendrys Morales tripled to center, scoring Eric Hosmer. Just after, the Tigers got back at Cueto, a crafty veteran right-handed pitcher. Ian Kinsler tripled to get things started, and Victor Martinez grounded out to first, racking up an RBI on the play to give Detroit the lead. 

The Royals sent Cueto to toe the slab against Detroit. The Royals acquired him from the Cincinnati Reds over the trade deadline. Cueto went 7.0 innings and gave up two runs on five hits and two walks. The weird thing is that the right-hander struck out only two batters. He averages 8.1 strikeouts per nine innings over his 2015 season. 

Cueto took the loss and is 0-1 with a 3.46 ERA in a Royals uniform. Over 2015 with the Reds and Royals, Cueto is 7-7 with a 2.69 ERA. 

The Tigers sent Alex Wilson, who just inherited the closer's role after the departure of Joakim Soria to the Pittsburgh Pirates, to the mound with just one out to get after Blaine Hardy set the table. Wilson gave up a hit, but he eventually got the out to secure the deal. 

Boyd was pumped up for his first start in a Tigers uniform. He normally hits 91 mph with his fastball, but in the first inning, he threw five straight 94-mph four-seam fastballs. The lefty did an outstanding job of attacking hitters and not shying away from a tough Kansas City lineup. He tossed 106 pitches, and 72 were strikes. 

The starting pitcher was asked how he would celebrate his first Big League victory. 

“I don’t know, I’ve never done it before,” he said. “I will tell you tomorrow.”