The Detroit Tigers will return home to take on the Minnesota Twins. The Tigers are coming off a series split against the Pirates while the Twins are coming off a series loss to the Dodgers.
Detroit Tigers (7-4) vs. Minnesota Twins (3-6)
Game 1:
Date: Friday, April 12
Time: 6:40 pm EST
Broadcast: Bally Sports Detroit
Game 2:
Date: Saturday, April 13
Time: 1:10 pm EST
Broadcast: Bally Sports Detroit
Game 3:
Date: Saturday, April 13
Time: 40 Minutes After Game 2 Ends
Broadcast: Bally Sports Detroit
Game 4:
Date: Sunday, April 14
Time: 1:40 pm EST
Broadcast: Bally Sports Detroit
Probable Starting Pitchers
Game 1: Tarik Skubal (1-0, 2.92 ERA) vs. Pablo Lopez (1-1, 2.84 ERA)
Skubal will get the first game making his third start of the season and he is 1-0 with a 2.92 ERA, a 3.39 FIP, a 0.73 WHIP, and 15 strikeouts in 12.1 innings. His last start came against the A’s and he went 6.1 innings giving up four runs on four hits; he walked two and struck out nine. Skubal in his career against the Twins is 2-3 in nine starts with a 3.91 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and 42 strikeouts in 46 innings. Lopez is making his third start, he is 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA, a 3.07 FIP, a 0.86 WHIP, and nine strikeouts in 12.2 innings. His last start came against the Guardians going 5.2 innings giving up six hits one four runs, only three earned; he walked one and struck out two. He is 1-1 in his career against Detroit with a 2.08 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP, and 18 strikeouts in 13 innings.
Game 2: Kenta Maeda (0-1, 9.00 ERA) vs. Joe Ryan (0-1, 3.18 ERA)
Maeda is making his third start, he is 0-1 with a 9.56 FIP, a 1.55 WHIP, and five strikeouts in nine innings. His last start came against the A’s, and he went 5.2 innings giving up three runs on two hits; he walked four and struck out three. In his career against the Twins, he has made one start going 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA, a 1.40 WHIP, and four strikeouts in five innings. Ryan will oppose Maeda making his third start, he is 0-1 with a 3.18 ERA, a 2.79 FIP, a 0.79 WHIP, and 12 strikeouts in 11.1 innings. In his last start against the Guardians he went six innings giving up three runs on five hits; he didn’t walk anyone and struck out seven. He is 4-1 against the Tigers in his career with a 3.57 ERA, a 0.88 WHIP, and 45 strikeouts in 35.1 innings.
Game 3: Matt Manning (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Bailey Ober (0-1, 12.79 ERA)
Manning will get the ball in the second game of the doubleheader and is making his second start, in his first start he went 5.2 innings and didn’t allow a run or a hit; he walked four and struck out three. Manning has made three starts in his career against Minnesota going 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA, a 1.33 WHIP, and eight strikeouts in 15 innings. Ober will get the ball also making his third start of the year he is 0-1 with a 12.79 ERA, an 8.28 FIP, a 2.36 WHIP, and eight strikeouts in 6.1 innings. In his last start against the Dodgers, he went five innings giving up a run on three hits; he walked two and struck out seven. In his career against the Tigers, he is 1-2 in seven starts with a 5.40 ERA, a 1.51 WHIP, and 39 strikeouts in 35 innings.
Game 4: Jack Flaherty (0-0, 5.25 ERA) vs. Louie Varland (0-2, 9.00 ERA)
Flaherty is also making his third start of the season he is 0-1 with a 5.25 ERA, a 4.14 FIP, a 1.16 WHIP, and 12 strikeouts in 12 innings. In his last start against the A’s, he suffered the loss going six innings giving up six runs on nine hits; he walked one and struck out five. In his career against the Twins, he has made one start going 5.2 innings giving up one run on five hits; he walked one and struck out three. Varland gets the ball for Minnesota he is 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA, a 7.34 FIP, a 2.00 WHIP, and ten strikeouts in nine innings. Varland’s last start came against the Dodgers five innings giving up six runs on seven hits; he walked three and struck out six. In his career against Detroit, he is 0-1 making one start going 4.1 innings giving up six runs on nine hits; he walked two and struck out four in that start.
Tigers vs. Twins Leaders
Tigers:
AVG – Gio Urshela – .387
HR – Riley Greene – 3
RBI – Carson Kelly – 5
IP – Tarik Skubal – 12.1
ERA – Tarik Skubal – 2.92
K – Tarik Skubal – 15
Twins:
AVG – Alex Kirilloff – .324
HR – Edouard Julien – 3
RBI – Ryan Jeffers – 5
IP – Pablo Lopez– 12.2
ERA – Pablo Lopez – 2.84
K – Joe Ryan – 12
Tigers vs. Twins Numbers
Tigers
AVG: .218 (23)
OPS: .622 (27)
R: 38 (26)
HR: 9 (28)
ERA: 3.38 (7)
K: 91 (26)
WHIP: 1.14 (6)
Twins
AVG: .184 (30)
OPS: .610 (28)
R: 27 (29)
HR: 9 (28)
ERA: 3.68 (10)
K: 98 (19)
WHIP: 1.25 (13)
Wrap Up
This series is a matchup of two teams struggling offensively but have solid pitching. The make or break to this series will be the two middle games and can the two new additions to the Tigers rotation get back on track and beat the Twins, if they can do that the Tigers should win this series. Detroit also needs Spencer Torkelson to get back on track and once he does it could provide a spark to the lineup.
