Minnesota @ Detroit preview
Comerica Park
Last Meeting ( May 11, 2014 ) Minnesota 4, Detroit 3
The Detroit Tigers have finished with at least 50 home wins in every season since 2009, which makes their 16-15 mark in familiar surroundings this year a bit of a mystery. The Tigers look for only their third win in the last nine home contests on Friday when they begin a three-game set against the Minnesota Twins. Following a win against the Houston Astros on May 7, the Tigers improved to 12-5 at Comerica Park before they dropped the series finale and lost two of three to the Twins.
Poor pitching was a recurring problem during Detroit’s 4-10 home slide, but it was not an issue in the Tigers’ 4-0 road victory over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday – marking the team’s seventh win in the last 23 games overall. Minnesota, which is on its second stop during a nine-game road trip, tamed the high-scoring Toronto Blue Jays with consecutive wins to take two of three north of the border. Kendrys Morales, who agreed to a one-year deal with the Twins before the first game of the series, went 6-for-13 with three RBIs in the set.
TV: 7:08 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), FSN Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Kyle Gibson (5-5, 3.91 ERA) vs. Tigers LH Drew Smyly (3-4, 3.81)
Gibson remained dominant at home in his last turn, allowing three hits and three walks over seven innings in an 8-0 rout of the Houston Astros. The No. 22 overall selection of the 2009 draft improved to 4-1 with a 1.54 ERA at home, but has been roughed up away from Target Field (1-4 with a 7.39 ERA), giving up at least four runs in four of his last five road outings. One of those poor starts came in his only career start at Detroit on May 10, when he was pounded for six runs on seven hits over a career-low two innings.
After finishing May with consecutive losses, Smyly won for the first time since May 3 when he allowed two runs (one earned) and five hits over six innings in Friday’s 6-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox. The Arkansas native is holding left-handed hitters to a .138 average this season and has had his way with Joe Mauer when he has faced the six-time All-Star (1-for-10). Smyly has enjoyed similar success against the Twins in 13 appearances (three starts), going 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA.
WALK-OFFS
1. Detroit DH Victor Martinez has as many home runs as strikeouts (16).
2. Twins 3B Trevor Plouffe and Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera are tied for the American League lead in doubles (22).
3. Tigers SS Eugenio Suarez is batting .313 with two homers and four RBIs in the six games in which he has played since making his major-league debut on June 4.
PREDICTION: Tigers 6, Twins 3