The Detroit Tigers opened up the unofficial second half to the 2018 season with a series loss to the Boston Red Sox. While it was capped with a 9-1 loss in the Sunday rubber match, the Tigers’ pitching staff largely kept arguably the major’s best offense in check for the first two games, holding the Sox to just one extra-base hit in that span.
[Don’t miss this post: Tigers’ Mid-Season Report Card]
UP NEXT
The Tigers (42-59) turn right back around and begin a three-game series on the road against their division rival, the Kansas City Royals (30-68).
There is just no other way to look at it — it has been a disastrous season in the City of Fountains. Only the Baltimore Orioles have a worse win percentage in Major League Baseball than the Royals through July 22. In fact, their three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins this past weekend is their longest winning streak since May 22-24 and it is four of five overall in the win column for KC.
The Royals, however, are a little bit less potent than the Tigers last saw them. They traded away closer Kelvin Herrera in mid-June to the Washington Nationals for a trio of minor leaguers. Detroit hasn’t played KC since early May when the Royals took three of four at Kauffman. KC is 6-4 against the Tigers this season.
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1 | Francisco Liriano (Tigers) vs. Heath Fillmyer (Royals)
This is the first start for Francisco Liriano (3-5, 4.67 ERA) since July 15 against the Houston Astros. Liriano in that outing only allowed one run but lasted three innings and departed with lower back tightness. Everything health wise appears to check out, which is good for both him and the Tigers because there is still a slim chance Liriano could be traded before the July 21 non-waiver deadline. This is the fourth start for Liriano against the Royals this season (1-0, 2.37 ERA in first three starts).
Heath Fillmyer (0-1, 3.45 ERA) is a recent newcomer to KC, having made his major league debut just last month. The 24-year-old rookie was acquired from the Oakland Athletics as part of a four-player deal back in late January and posts a 4.07 ERA in 97 career minor league games (88 starts). This will be Fillmyer’s sixth major league appearance and just his second start. He lasted just 4.1 innings in his only start but has logged at least two frames in his four relief appearances.
Game 2 | Jordan Zimmermann (Tigers) vs. Burch Smith (Royals)
Jordan Zimmermann (4-1, 3.71 ERA) will make his first start of the second half; the Tigers opted to push that back a couple days to allow for him to receive further treatment on his neck woes. Zimmermann last took the mound on July 11 against Tampa Bay, surrendering four runs over 6.1 innings against the Rays, snapping a string of three starts in which he allowed one run or fewer. This will be his second start against the Royals; he tossed five scoreless against them in KC back on May 5.
Burch Smith (0-1, 5.98 ERA) is back in the majors for the first time since 2013 with the San Diego Padres. After missing two whole seasons (2015-16) due to Tommy John surgery, Smith returned in 2017 with the Rays, pitching to a 2.82 ERA in 19 games across the minors. He joined the Royals in December after the New York Mets selected him in the Rule 5 Draft and immediately traded him. Smith broke spring camp as a reliever but each of his last two appearances has been in a starting role.
Game 3 | Matthew Boyd (Tigers) vs. Danny Duffy (Royals)
The Tigers got a very strong and encouraging outing from Matthew Boyd (4-9, 4.62 ERA) to open the second half. Boyd against the Red Sox yielded just one run on three hits over five innings against the Red Sox, his first outing of one-run or fewer since May 28 against the Los Angeles Angels. Another similar performance just may thrust the lefty back into any sense of trade conversations. Boyd in two starts against KC this season has a 3.46 ERA.
The Royals’ Danny Duffy (6-8, 4.40 ERA) has also had his name floated around trade talks in recent weeks. After a rough stretch early on that saw his season ERA balloon to near 7.00 in mid-May, Duffy has really turned things around as of late. He carries a 2.89 ERA over his last nine starts and has been even more dominant in his last three times out (1 ER in 20 IP). The 29-year-old, who is owed just shy of $46 million through the 2021 season, was knocked around in his lone start against the Tigers this season (4.2 IP, 10 H, 6 ER on April 21).
HITTERS TO WATCH
Tigers shortstop José Iglesias continues to gradually improve his trade stock, particularly on the hitting front. In a series where the team hit a collective .491 OPS against the Red Sox, Iglesias hit a cool .400 (4 for 10), with a double and a home run, and was responsible for four of the six team’s runs batted in. Let’s see how he fares against the Royals, whom he is slashing just .235/.257/.235 against this season.
Iglesias’ counterpart in KC, Alcides Escobar, is another shortstop who has never been known for swinging a big stick (.535 OPS in 2018, .634 OPS for career). But he was very productive in the Royals’ series against the Twins, hitting .500 in 10 plate appearances (3 for 6), drawing a couple walks and even recording a couple sacrifices. Escobar has also been a thorn in the Tigers’ sides this season (.785 OPS in 36 PAs, 3 XBH, 6 R).
SERIES INFO
- Game 1 | Mon, July 23 @ 8:15 p.m. ET
- Game 2 | Tue, July 24 @ 8:15 p.m. ET
- Game 3 | Wed, July 25 @ 2:15 p.m. ET
All games can be seen on Fox Sports Detroit unless otherwise noted. Be sure to check your local listings for regional radio broadcasts.
