The Detroit Tigers and Arizona Diamondbacks end their series this afternoon with the rubber match. The game is scheduled for a 3:40 p.m. (EST) start time and it will be televised locally in both markets and nationally on MLB.tv. Currently the odds for the game have Detroit favored on the road.
These two squads have split the first couple of games in the series. Detroit won the opener before Arizona got a big eighth inning to pick up a home win last night. The Detroit bullpen, which had been solid recently, did not throw well on Tuesday night, walking too many guys and giving up key base hits to Diamondbacks. It was not a good effort by the Tigers' pen.
Can they rebound today? Detroit is sending Anibal Sanchez to the mound. He can certainly eat up some innings and does have experience swinging the bat, having pitched in the National League. Sanchez was awesome in the early part of the season, going 4-2 with a 2.33 ERA in his first 12 starts, but he has a 5.23 ERA in the last five starts overall. The ERA title winner from last year has a 2.15 ERA in six interleague starts dating back to the Tigers getting him from the Marlins at the 2012 trade deadline.
Detroit has proven they can win games on the road this season.
Trevor Cahill for Arizona will look to deal them a loss. He has not been good this season at 1-6. He's making his second start since being called up from the minors. He has been a staple for the Diamondbacks in the rotation in recent history but really pitched himself into some trouble this season. He began the season going just 0-4 with a 9.17 ERA. In the past two years he's won a combined 21 games as a starter.
Detroit doesn't tend to rest their main guys, even in games like this. Expect the big guns to play again here today.
We like the Tigers to get it done.
Free Pick: Detroit 5, Arizona 3
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