In the last of a three-game series between the Detroit Tigers (2-0) and the Minnesota Twins (2-0) at Comerica Park, Shane Greene (5-4, 3.78 ERA) and Kyle Gibson (13-12, 4.47 ERA) take the mound. The Tigers won the last game 11-0 and Detroit leads the series 2-0. The game gets underway at 1:08 p.m. ET on Thursday, Apr. 9 and will air on FSN-N and FSN-DET.
Greene takes the mound after pitching 78.2 innings last season, finishing 5-4 with a 3.78 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and 81 strikeouts. Jose Iglesias (.857 ) continued his hot start yesterday, going 4 for 4 with three runs. In his pitching opportunities against the Tigers, Gibson is 2-3 with a 6.00 ERA, 18 strikeouts and 13 walks. Jordan Schafer (.400 ) went 1 for 3 yesterday.
Detroit is a -160 favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is eight runs. The Tigers are a stellar hitting team with 10.0 hits per game, one of the highest marks in the AL. The Tigers are a nightmare for opponents on the bases with three steals, one of the highest totals in baseball. As for the pitching staff, the Tigers lead the AL in ERA with a 0.00 team average. The Tigers don’t allow many hitters to get on base, ranking fourth in the league with a 0.61 WHIP.
So far this season, the Tigers are 2-0 against the Twins.
Predictions: SU Winner – DET, O/U – Over
Notes
The Tigers won their last game by an 11-run margin. In games decided by a margin of 10 runs or more, the Twins are 0-1. The Tigers are 1-0 in blowouts this season.
Minnesota has lost all of its games (0-1) when leading after 7 innings. However, Detroit has won all of its games (1-0) when taking a late lead.
Having scored zero runs in their last game, the Twins are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Tigers have a 2-0 record in games where opponents scored that many runs.
Minnesota ranks in the bottom half of the league at 19th when it comes to home runs, hitting zero this season. Detroit ranks in the top five at fifth with two.
Ranking ninth, Minnesota is in the top 10 of the league in hits, notching 5.00 per game. Detroit ranks in the top five at second with 10.00.
Ranking 26th, Minnesota is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.333). Detroit ranks in the top five at third with an OPS of 1.005.
