Tigers Hit The Road
After salvaging the final contest of a brief homestand, the Detroit
Tigers take to the road for the opener of their longest trip this
season.
The Tigers kick off a 10-game swing with a four-game set against the Cleveland Indians beginning Monday at Progressive Field.
Oddsmakers from SBG Global
have made Detroit -115 money line favorites (MLB Odds) for tonight’s game, the over/under has
been set at 10.5 total runs (Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 96% of bets for this game have been placed on Detroit -115 (View MLB Bet Percentages).
Detroit
(53-51) avoided a three-game sweep at home Sunday, beating the AL
Central-leading Chicago White Sox 6-4 behind six solid innings from
starter Zach Miner.
The win, though, was overshadowed by bullpen
issues. Manager Jim Leyland announced prior to the game that Fernando
Rodney would replace Todd Jones as the team’s closer. Additionally,
set-up man Joel Zumaya left in the eighth inning with tightness in his
right triceps and is listed as day-to-day.
Rodney relieved
Zumaya, but after throwing 42 pitches in 1 2-3 innings, he may have
limited his availability for Monday’s game in Cleveland (45-58).
"We
can’t be going to war right now with pitchers that can’t pitch for
three or four days," Leyland said after his club won for the fifth time
in seven games.
Despite their uncertain pitching situation, the
Tigers reduced their deficit in the Central to 6 1/2 games, and could
see that number shrink further as the division’s top two teams –
Chicago and Minnesota – open a four-game series against each other on
Monday.
"Still very much in contention," center fielder Curtis
Granderson said. "There’s what? 58 games left? Anything can happen.
Especially considering it’s not even August yet."
Detroit now
puts its season-high five-game road winning streak on the line as it
sends Kenny Rogers (8-6, 4.48 ERA) to the mound.
Rogers has won
consecutive outings for the first time since reeling off three straight
wins June 22-July 4, 2007. On Tuesday, he limited Kansas City to one
run and four hits in a 7-1 road victory, but didn’t come back for the
seventh inning following a lengthy rain delay.
The 43-year-old
left-hander is 17-16 with a 5.02 ERA in 58 career outings – 35 starts –
versus the Indians. He left without a decision after giving up an
earned run and five hits over seven innings of an 8-4 home win on June
7.
Cleveland, which is 14 games out of the division lead, has
dropped four of its last five overall and fell to 1-2 on a seven-game
homestand after Sunday’s 4-2 loss to the Twins.
To avoid a third
straight home loss, the Indians hand the ball to Paul Byrd (4-10, 5.28)
as he seeks to build on his first win in over a month.
Byrd held
the Los Angeles Angels to one run and nine hits in 5 1-3 innings of a
5-2 win on Monday. The right-hander had entered the game with an 0-5
record and 7.76 ERA in his previous six starts.
"That was the old me out there," Byrd told the Indians’ official Web site.
Byrd
is 9-2 with a 3.54 ERA in 19 appearances against the Tigers. He didn’t
receive a decision on July 9, when he gave up three runs and nine hits
in six innings of an 8-6 loss at Detroit.
The Indians are 3-5 versus the Tigers this season after losing two games in Detroit July 8-9.
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