Tigers Sliding At Home
The Detroit Tigers had a chance this weekend to make up significant
ground in the AL Central. Instead, they are trying to avoid their
largest deficit in more than a month.
Detroit and the Chicago White Sox close a three-game series Sunday at Comerica Park, with the Tigers looking to avoid a sweep.
The
division-leading White Sox (59-43) increased their lead over the
third-place Tigers (52-51) to 7 1/2 games following a 7-6 win on
Saturday. Carlos Quentin and Jermaine Dye hit back-to-back homers,
leading Chicago to its fourth straight win and helping it maintain a 3
1/2-game lead over the second-place Twins, who the White Sox open a
four-game road series against on Monday.
Oddsmakers from SBG Global
have made Detroit -120 money line favorites (MLB Odds) for tonight’s game, the over/under has
been set at 10 total runs (Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 44% of bets for this game have been placed on Detroit -120 (View MLB Bet Percentages).
"We just want to find a
way to keep the intensity up (on Sunday) and keep doing what we’ve been
doing the last two games," White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski said.
Quentin’s
home run was his AL-leading 27th of the season and his fifth since the
All-Star break, while Dye’s was his second in as many games and 23rd of
the season.
For the Tigers, who received home runs from Gary
Sheffield and Magglio Ordonez, the back-to-back losses came after a
four-game winning streak seemed to put them back into the AL Central
race. Justin Verlander didn’t help Detroit on Saturday, allowing seven
runs and nine hits in four innings.
The Tigers have averaged 7.9
runs in their last eight games, but are only 4-4 during that stretch. A
loss Sunday would drop them 8 1/2 games behind the White Sox, their
largest deficit since they were nine games back on June 11.
Chicago, meanwhile, look to improve to 30-14 against its own division when it sends Javier Javier Vazquez (7-8, 4.57 ERA) to the mound.
Vazquez
is looking to win his first start since beating the Pirates on June 16.
He pitched seven innings Monday against Texas, allowing three runs and
four hits in a 6-1 loss. The right-hander matched a season high with 10
strikeouts.
Despite the loss, Vazquez feels he’s heading in the right direction and manager Ozzie Guillen agreed.
"Javy
threw the ball unbelievably good," he said. "If Vazquez continues to
throw the ball good, it will be a great second half for us."
Vazquez is 5-5 with a 4.48 ERA in 10 career starts against the Tigers, splitting two starts versus them this year.
Zach
Miner (4-3, 3.73) makes his second start of the season for Detroit. The
right-hander, who has made 32 relief appearances this year, pitched six
scoreless innings Monday against Kansas City, allowing three hits in a
19-4 win. It was his first start since May 17, 2007 and 18th of his
career.
Miner is 0-5 with a 7.08 ERA in two starts and nine
relief appearances against the White Sox. In the two starts in 2006, he
allowed 10 runs and nine hits in 6 2-3 innings and he hasn’t fared much
better as a reliever against them this season, allowing five runs in
four innings over three appearances.
Dye is 3-for-9 with a double and a home run off Miner.
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