fb

Latest News:

Moritz Seider admits ‘easy mistakes’ cost Detroit Red Wings in latest loss

Moritz Seider admits that the Detroit Red Wings were guilty of too many "easy mistakes" in their latest frustrating setback.

Struggling Detroit Red Wings Were Dealt Last-Minute Blow Before Loss to Hurricanes

Insult to injury: Find out how the struggling Detroit Red Wings were dealt a last-minute blow before their game against the Hurricanes.

2024 Detroit Lions Season Win Total Over/Under Set

The 2024 Detroit Lions Season Win Total number has been released by DraftKings.

ON DECK: Tigers visit White Sox for Father’s Day weekend series

Baseball sure is a funny sport. The Detroit Tigers ended a six-game homestand with a series-clinching win on Thursday against their division rival Minnesota Twins. Runs were hard to come by for much of the series, as Detroit only outscored Minnesota 12-9 in the three-game set. But the Tigers continued a trend that has been a bugaboo for them in 2018: leaving guys on base. They left another 24 guys on base and were just 4 for 27 with runners in scoring position.

UP NEXT

The Tigers (32-37) now begin an eight-game road trip, starting with three games on the south side of Chicago against the White Sox (25-42) for Father’s Day weekend. Things have not progressed as well as some around the industry had envisioned for the Pale Hose, as they fight with the Kansas City Royals to avoid being in the basement of the American League Central.

http://gty.im/974433062

However, they have played a bit better since the calendar flipped to June. Chicago is 2-0-2 in their four series this month, good for an 8-6 record overall. That includes a series win in Boston against the Red Sox as well as one at home against another division leader in the Milwaukee Brewers. And it has been the pitching that has carried the White Sox lately, posting a team ERA under 3.00 in their 14 games this month.

Detroit is already 5-1 against Chicago this season, including a three-game sweep of the Sox back in early April.

PITCHING MATCHUPS

Game 1 | Mike Fiers (Tigers) vs. Reynaldo López (White Sox)

Happy birthday, Mike Fiers! The now 33-year-old (5-3, 4.01 ERA) is fresh off his longest outing since August of last season, going seven innings of one-run ball against the Cleveland Indians at home. This is also by far the best three-game stretch for Fiers with the Tigers this season, registering a sub-2.00 ERA during that time, shaving nearly a whole run off his season mark in the process. This will be his third start against the White Sox this year (1-0, 3.09 in first 2 starts) and second in Chicago.

It is hard to imagine where the White Sox would be without Reynaldo López (2-4, 3.26 ERA) this season, having been the team’s most consistent starter this season. He has given up two runs or fewer in 10 of his 13 starts this season, including his last two starts where he was charged with just one earned run over 13.1 innings pitched in that span. López will also be making his third start of the year against the Tigers, he has gone seven innings deep in each of the first two times out, allowing just two combined runs.

Game 2 | Jordan Zimmermann (Tigers) vs. Lucas Giolito (White Sox)

The Tigers recently had this Saturday tilt listed as ‘TBA’ but all signs point towards Jordan Zimmermann (2-0, 4.88 ERA) being activated from the disabled list. Zimmermann last pitched on May 5 in Kansas City and was riding a streak of 12 scoreless frames over two starts prior to his shoulder impingement injury. He made three rehab starts in the minors since May 27 and after allowing seven runs in just 0.2 innings, he allowed just two runs over 9.2 innings in his next two outings. This will be Zimmermann’s second start against the White Sox this year, Chicago roughed him up for six runs on nine hits over 4.1 IP back on April 5.

http://gty.im/953237654

As encouraged as the White Sox have to be about Reynaldo Lopez, they are just as concerned with Lucas Giolito (4-7, 7.09 ERA). The other focal point of the return package in the Adam Eaton trade with the Washington Nationals has just been… well, putrid. Nobody has allowed more earned runs (52), base on balls (43) and hit batsmen (10) than Giolito this season. The Tigers tagged him for five runs over 5.2 innings of work back on April 7 in Chicago.

Game 3 | Blaine Hardy (Tigers) vs. James Shields (White Sox)

With the Tigers’ starting rotation slowly becoming more healthy, the opportunities to continue starting for Blaine Hardy (2-1, 3.55 ERA) appear to be numbered. However, he has arguably been the team’s most impressive and important hurler since he was pressed into starting duties. Hardy his last time out allowed just two runs over six innings against the Twins, the fifth of his six starts in which he has yielded two or fewer runs. His best start came against these White Sox on May 27, a seven-inning performance of one-run ball.

The numbers for James Shields (2-7, 4.63 ERA) look extremely pedestrian but he is by no means their biggest problem in the rotation. The 36-year-old continues to give his team innings and chances to win. Shields has gone at least seven innings deep in a game in five of his last six starts, all of which he has allowed three earned or fewer (the one outlier was two starts ago when he allowed seven ER over six frames). He has been fairly adequate in his first two starts this year against the Tigers as well (6 ER in 12 IP).

HITTERS TO WATCH

With first baseman slugger Miguel Cabrera on the shelf for the remainder of the season after tearing a bicep tendon on a swing against the Twins, John Hicks is expected to be the Tigers’ primary option at first base. This should be a relatively smooth transition for Hicks, who played first in Miggy’s month-long absence earlier this season. But the 28-year-old has been raking as of late. He’s riding a mini four-game hitting streak (7 for 14 in that span) and is hitting .379 with an .848 OPS in nine June games.

http://gty.im/953899098

It would be a cop out to put José Abreu, because he already torches Tigers pitching and has for years. So we’ll highlight someone else here. Outfielder Charlie Tilson has been a pleasant addition to the White Sox since rejoining the club from Triple-A Charlotte in late May. He is hitting .267 in 14 games this month but more recently, he has at least one hit in five straight games (7 for 15, 3B, RBI in that span).

SERIES INFO

  • Game 1 | Fri, June 15 @ 8:10 p.m. ET
  • Game 2 | Sat, June 16 @ 2:10 p.m. ET
  • Game 3 | Sun, June 17 @ 2:10 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.

Newsletter

Don't miss

Oakland University vs. North Carolina State Game Time Released

The Oakland University vs. North Carolina State Game Time has been revealed.

Detroit Tigers SP Tarik Skubal Comes Full Circle With Dominating Opening Day Performance

From his MLB Debut, to starting on Opening Day, Tarik Skubal Comes Full Circle.

Oakland’s Jack Gohlke and Greg Kampe are going to the Final Four!

Jack Gohlke and Greg Kampe will be at the Final Four as part of the events leading up to the games.

2024 Detroit Tigers Opening Day Starting Lineup Prediction 3.0

The Detroit Tigers Opening Day Starting Lineup will include a rookie.

Detroit Tigers 2B Colt Keith Discusses MLB Debut on Opening Day

Colt Keith Discusses MLB Debut following Tigers 1-0 win over White Sox.
Alex Muller
Alex Mullerhttps://lxandrthegr8.wordpress.com/
MSU Graduate. Just a city boy born and raised in south Detroit. Baseball is life, a pitcher at heart. Freelance writer for MIPrepZone (News-Herald, Press & Guide).

Moritz Seider admits ‘easy mistakes’ cost Detroit Red Wings in latest loss

Moritz Seider admits that the Detroit Red Wings were guilty of too many "easy mistakes" in their latest frustrating setback.

Struggling Detroit Red Wings Were Dealt Last-Minute Blow Before Loss to Hurricanes

Insult to injury: Find out how the struggling Detroit Red Wings were dealt a last-minute blow before their game against the Hurricanes.

2024 Detroit Lions Season Win Total Over/Under Set

The 2024 Detroit Lions Season Win Total number has been released by DraftKings.