Series Preview: Boston Red Sox vs. Detroit Tigers 5/30-6/2

The Boston Red Sox will take on the Detroit Tigers this weekend for a four-game series. The Red Sox are coming off a series loss to the Orioles while the Tigers are coming off a series split with the Pirates.

Boston Red Sox (28-28) vs. Detroit Tigers (27-28)

Game 1:

Date: Thursday, May 30
Time: 7:10 pm EST
Broadcast: NESN

Game 2:

Date: Friday, May 31
Time: 7:10 pm EST
Broadcast: Apple TV+

Game 3:

Date: Saturday, June 1
Time: 4:10 pm EST
Broadcast: NESN

Game 4:

Date: Sunday, June 2
Time: 1:35 pm EST
Broadcast: NESN

Probable Starting Pitchers

Game 1: Nick Pivetta (2-3, 4.20 ERA) vs. Jack Flaherty (1-4, 3.84 ERA)

Pivetta gets the series started making his seventh start, he is 2-3 with a 4.20 ERA, a 4.46 FIP, a 1.06 WHIP, and 33 strikeouts in 30 innings. In his last start, he faced the Brewers going 3.1 innings giving up five runs on seven hits; he walked three and struck out three. In his career against Detroit, he is 1-0 with a 3.12 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP, and 13 strikeouts in 8.2 innings. Flaherty gets the ball for Detroit making his 11^th start, he is 1-4 with a 3.84 ERA, a 2.99, FIP, a 1.08 WHIP, and 81 strikeouts in 61 innings. In his last start, he faced the Blue Jays going 6.1 innings giving up three runs on seven hits; he walked one and struck out nine. In his career against Boston he doesn’t have a decision, he has a 10.38 ERA, a 2.54 FIP, and five strikeouts in 4.1 innings.

Game 2: Tanner Houck (4-5, 1.90 ERA) vs. Kenta Maeda (2-1, 5.80 ERA)

Houck will make his 12^th start of the year he is 4-5 with a 1.90 ERA, a 2.13 FIP, a 0.98 WHIP, and 69 strikeouts in 71 innings. In his last start, he faced the Brewers going six innings giving up one run on seven hits; he walked one and struck out seven. Against Detroit in his career, he is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, and five strikeouts in six innings. Maeda goes for Detroit he is 2-1 with a 5.80 ERA, a 5.99 FIP, a 1.31 WHIP, and 24 strikeouts in 35.2 innings. In his last start, he returned from the injured list facing the Blue Jays going five shutout innings giving up four hits; he didn’t issue a walk and struck out one. In his career against Boston, he is 0-3 with a 4.50 ERA, a 1.33 WHIP, and 12 strikeouts in 12 innings.

Game 3: Cooper Criswell (2-2, 3.96 ERA) vs. Reese Olson (1-5, 1.92 ERA)

Criswell makes his tenth appearance and his ninth start of the season, he is 2-2 with a 3.96 ERA, a 3.80 FIP, a 1.19 WHIP, and 36 strikeouts in 38.2 innings. In his last start, he faced the Orioles going four innings giving up seven runs, six earned on six hits; he walked one and struck out two. He has never faced the Tigers in his career. Olson gets the ball for Detroit, and he is 1-5 with a 1.92 ERA, a 2.86 FIP, a 1.04 WHIP, and 47 strikeouts in 56.1 innings. In his last start, he faced the Blue Jays going 6.1 innings giving up one run which was unearned on three hits; he walked three and struck out four. He has never faced Boston in his career.

Game 4: Brayan Bello (6-2, 4.18 ERA) vs. Casey Mize (1-3, 4.71 ERA)

Bello gets the finale, he is 6-2 with a 4.18 ERA, a 4.61 FIP, a 1.18 WHIP, and 44 strikeouts in 47.1 innings. In his last start, he struggled against the Orioles to start but settled in going five innings giving up three runs on five hits; he walked two and struck out seven. He has made one start against Detroit going 4.2 innings giving up four runs on nine hits; he didn’t issue a walk and struck out five. Mize gets the ball for the Tigers making his 11^th start, he is 1-3 with a 4.71 ERA, a 4.12 FIP, a 1.43 WHIP, and 34 strikeouts in 49.2 innings. In his last start, he faced the Blue Jays going 4.1 innings giving up three runs on eight hits; he walked two and didn’t record a strikeout. He is 0-1 against Boston with a 4.09 ERA, a 1.36 WHIP, and six strikeouts in 11 innings.

Boston Red Sox vs. Detroit Tigers Leaders

Red Sox:

AVG – Rafael Devers – .284
HR – Tyler O’Neill – 11
RBI – Ceddanne Rafaela – 28
IP – Tanner Houck – 71.0
ERA – Tanner Houck –1.90
K – Tanner Houck – 69

Tigers:

AVG – Matt Vierling – .289
HR – Riley Greene – 9
RBI – Matt Vierling – 28
IP – Tarik Skubal – 67.0
ERA – Reese Olson – 1.92
K – Jack Flaherty – 81

Boston Red Sox vs. Detroit Tigers Numbers

Red Sox

AVG: .243 (13)
OPS: .715 (10)
R: 244 (13)
HR: 58 (12)
ERA: 3.27 (3)
K: 481 (11)
WHIP: 1.16 (6)

Tigers

AVG: .235 (19)             
OPS: .681 (20)
R: 235 (17)
HR: 48 (23)
ERA: 3.82 (10)
K: 465 (19)
WHIP: 1.20 (7)

Wrap Up

This will be an interesting series for both teams. Starting with the Red Sox the pitching staff has regressed from their hot start and in this one they will have some of their top arms going in Houck, Bello, and Pivetta. The lineup could also perform and that could be the key to leading to a series win. The Red Sox will also avoid the Tigers ace in Tarik Skubal after a rainout on Tuesday forced them to play a doubleheader on Wednesday and they called up Keider Montero to make a start instead of going with Jack Flaherty which pushed Flaherty to get the ball in game one of the series. The Tigers they are currently riding the hot bat of Matt Vierling but have lost Kerry Carpenter from their lineup, they have struggled to score runs which has been a struggle to do this season. The Red Sox average 4.4 runs a game while the Tigers average 4.3 so a matchup of two teams who are similar and are currently sitting at a half-game difference if either of these teams can take three of the four games they can make a jump to that final wild card spot assuming the Twins lost their series with the Astros.