Javier Báez finishes Tigers debut with walk-off after replay turns flyout into hit

The Detroit Tigers debuted their new look on Friday, and the biggest difference was unsurprisingly Javier Báez.

The former Chicago Cubs and New York Mets shortstop, who signed a six-year, $140 million contract this winter, began his Tigers career with a walk-off that initially looked like a flyout to send the game to extras.

Facing Chicago White Sox closer Liam Hendricks in the ninth inning with the game tied at 4-4 and a man on third base, Báez hit a fastball to the right field wall. White Sox right fielder A.J. Pollock, making his own Chicago debut after a trade from the Los Angeles Dodgers, bobbled the ball but recovered to make an adventurous catch.

That was how it appeared initially. Replay would show, however, the ball clearly hit the wall before landing in Pollock's glove, giving the Tigers a walk-off win.

Báez finished the game 2 for 5 at the plate, with another hit in a two-run eighth inning. He also showed off his trademark defense in the second inning:

Báez was one of the Tigers' two big moves last offseason, the other being their five-year, $77 million deal with former Boston Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodríguez, who allowed three earned runs in four innings on opening day.

With an incipient youth movement, led by former No. 1 overall pick and opening day first baseman Spencer Torkelson, the Tigers are hoping Báez and Rodríguez are the veterans needed to lift the team out of its rebuilding phase. So far, so good.