Detroit @ Texas preview
Choctaw Stadium
Last Meeting ( Jun 27, 2012 ) Detroit 9, Texas 13
The American League West-leading Texas Rangers return home from a successful road trip to host the Detroit Tigers on Friday in the opener of their three-game series. Texas, which owns a 5 1/2-game division lead over Oakland, posted a 10-9 triumph at Boston on Wednesday to complete a 4-2 trek. The Rangers, who are an AL-best 34-21 at home, head right back on the road following this series for three-game sets in New York and Toronto.
Texas has won five of its first seven meetings with Detroit, which is coming off a 5-2 homestand. The Tigers swept a three-game series with Cleveland and won two straight against the Yankees before dropping the final two contests of their four-game set. Detroit, which trails the Chicago White Sox by one game in the AL Central but is tied with Baltimore for the second wild-card spot, lost six of eight before capping a nine-game road trip with a win at Boston on Aug. 1.
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, FSN (Detroit), TXA-21 (Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Max Scherzer (10-6, 4.72 ERA) vs. Rangers RH Scott Feldman (6-6, 4.52)
After winning four of five starts, Scherzer has struggled over his last two outings. The 28-year-old suffered the loss at Boston on July 30 after surrendering five runs in 6 1/3 innings, then yielded four runs over five frames against Cleveland on Sunday but escaped with a no-decision. Scherzer has yet to lose in six regular-season starts versus Texas, going 3-0 with a 3.41 ERA.
Feldman has won six straight decisions, including one in relief. The 29-year-old followed eight scoreless innings against the White Sox on July 29 with a 7 2/3-inning effort at Kansas City on Saturday in which he allowed two runs and six hits. Feldman has not had much success against Detroit in his career, going 0-2 while surrendering 25 earned runs over 26 1/3 frames (8.54 ERA) in 10 games - including four starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Scherzer allowed nine runs over 8 1/3 innings in two games against Texas in last year's AL Championship Series, while Feldman worked 5 1/3 scoreless frames in three contests.
2. Tigers 3B Omar Infante enters with a 10-game hitting streak after going 3-for-4 against the Yankees on Thursday.
3. Detroit UT Don Kelly cleared waivers Thursday and was outrighted to Triple-A Toledo.