DETROIT — José Ramírez, Brayan Rocchio, Travis Bazzana, Rhys Hoskins and Austin Hedges gathered at the pitcher’s mound Monday night, as Guardians manager Stephen Vogt made his way out of the first-base dugout. Before Vogt arrived to take the ball from Slade Cecconi, the right-hander shared a fist bump with each of his five teammates.

That moment in the eighth inning Monday at Comerica Park marked the end of a stellar night for Cecconi in his most impressive start this season. In the Guardians’ 8-2 win over the Tigers in the opener of a three-game series, Cecconi tossed 7 1/3 innings and allowed just two runs on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

Cecconi has had the bumpiest road this season among the Guardians’ five starting pitchers. He entered Monday with a 5.60 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP through nine starts and had completed six innings just once (on April 5 against the Cubs).

Cecconi’s past two starts showed signs that he was trending in a better direction: He allowed a combined two runs in 9 1/3 innings. Monday, he was efficient while facing just three batters in each of the second through seventh innings.

The Tigers’ only damage off Cecconi came in the first and eighth innings. Detroit sent five batters to the plate in the former and scored on a Riley Greene RBI double. Matt Vierling hit a leadoff home run in the latter.