The Detroit Tigers came up short again against the Cleveland Guardians on Friday night, falling by a 3-1 final score to drop the first two of the four-game home series.
The Motor City Kitties’ offense has struggled of late, plating just a single run in the past three games against mostly subpar pitching. However, they are still seventh in batting average (.255), ninth in on-base percentage (.327) and eighth in slugging (.415), adding up to a seventh-overall ranking in OPS (.742).
What might be of bigger concern is the pitching staff, which has been navigating through injuries and poor performances as the season wears on. Which leads us to Saturday’s starting pitchers.
The Tigers have TBD listed as of the time of publication, but there are reports that Casey Mize could return to the mound. Meanwhile, the Guards know who they are sending to the bump: fourth-year hurler Luis L. Ortiz.
Detroit Tigers (33-19) vs. Cleveland Guardians (28-22)
Time (ET): 7:15 p.m.
Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
SB Nation Site: Covering the Corner
Media: FanDuel Sports Detroit, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 53 Pitching Matchup
Player
IP
K%
BB%
FIP
fWAR
Player
IP
K%
BB%
FIP
fWAR
TBD
–
–
–
–
–
Ortiz
48.1
26.5
10.9
4.07
0.5
Game 53: TBD vs. RHP Luis L. Ortiz (2-5, 4.66 ERA)
ORTIZ
Baseball Savant