DETROIT – “You like the cold!?’’ Tommy Kahnle shouted, greeting some of his old teammates on a frosty Monday afternoon.
Naturally, the always amped-up Kahnle was dressed in a gray Detroit Tigers t-shirt while most well-layered Yankees also sported gaiters and winter caps against the 38-degree chill.
A light snow began to fall just before Casey Mize’s first pitch at 3:10 p.m.
“Both teams have to deal with it, it’s part of big-league baseball playing in the Northeast and the Midwest,’’ Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of the early spring conditions.
On Monday, the Tigers dealt with it a little better, scoring a 6-2 victory before just 14,132 fans – a very sparse crowd to see Aaron Judge and the defending AL champs.
Start times for this entire three-game series were switched from night to day games, due to the cold temps.
And Monday’s start was forecast as the warmest of the set.
Tuesday’s 1:10 p.m. game is expected to be played in the 30-degree range, with overnight temperatures in the 20s leading into Wednesday’s 1:10 p.m. finale.
“Everyone’s got a job to do,’’ said Boone. “Doesn’t matter if it’s 80 and sunny or 40 and drizzly.’’
The last time the Tigers and Yankees played, it was 66 degrees in Lakeland - a cool-for-Florida exhibition game on March 21.
For added heat Monday, Boone simmered at plate umpire Bruce Dreckman for his strike zone against starter Carlos Rodon, who made his displeasure known from the mound.
Rodon stared toward home plate as he questioned a third inning walk to No. 8 hitter Jake Rogers.
After walking the No. 9 hitter, Rodon served up a three-run homer to Andy Ibanez for a 3-0 lead, and the Tigers (6-4) advanced to their fourth straight win.
Mize held the Yankees (6-4) to just one run over six innings, while Rodon pitched into the seventh – sometimes operating in a snow-globe atmosphere – and yielded five earned runs.
At least the sun was back out again as Kahnle closed out his old mates in the ninth.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Yankees lineup goes cold, Carlos Rodon shaky in loss to Tigers
