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Carpenter impresses as Tigers drop spring opener

Chris McCosky checks in from Lakeland with Bob Wojnowski on the start of spring training, Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, and more. The Detroit News

Tampa, Fla. — This is how cruel baseball can be for guys on the roster bubble.

Left-handed pitcher Ryan Carpenter, signed to a minor-league contract this off-season and in the fight for the fifth rotation spot, pitched two scoreless innings against a well-stocked Yankees lineup Friday in the Grapefruit League opener.

It was his first start in a big-league spring game and he allowed just one hit and a walk with three strikeouts in a game won by the Yankees 3-1.