Mike Pelfrey (6-11, 4.26 ERA) and the Detroit Tigers (3-0) go up against CC Sabathia (6-10, 4.73 ERA) and the New York Yankees (2-2) in the second of a three-game series at Comerica Park. The Tigers won the last game 4-0, and Detroit leads the series 1-0. The game gets underway at 1:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 9 and will air on FSD+, YES and MLBN.
Pelfrey takes the hill after pitching 164.2 innings last year, wrapping up the season with a 6-11 record, 4.26 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, and 86 strikeouts. Ian Kinsler (.467 ) continued his strong start to the season yesterday, going 2 for 4 with one run. Sabathia takes the hill on the other side. He pitched 167.1 innings last season, going 6-10 with a 4.73 ERA 1.42 WHIP, and two strikeouts. Mark Teixeira (.357 ) went 1 for 3 yesterday.
Oddsmakers have deemed this game an even matchup and the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable at the moment. The Tigers are an exceptional hitting team with an MLB-best .325 team batting average. Don’t expect the Detroit hitters to swing wildly. They average only 10.3 strikeouts per game.
New York is one of the top home-run-hitting teams in the league with seven home runs. New York is a terror on the base paths, with an MLB-best four stolen bases. Switching gears to New York’s pitching staff, they allow just 1.0 walks per game, best in the AL.
So far this season, the Tigers are 1-0 against the Yankees.
Predictions: SU Winner – DET
Notes
When leading after seven innings, Detroit is 1-0, while New York is 2-1.
The Yankees are coming off of a hot pitching game where they recorded nine strikeouts. The Tigers have a record of 2-0 when they are struck out that many times or more.
Ranking eighth in home runs, Detroit has hit six this season. New York ranks third with seven home runs.
Ranking first in hits, Detroit has earned 12.67 per game this season. New York ranks 12th with 9.00 hits.
Both Detroit and New York are tied at first for their on-base plus slugging percentage of .000.
When the Yankees allow at least one home run, they are 2-2. When the Tigers allow one or more homers, they have a 1-0 record.
