The Detroit Tigers return home from a short six-game road swing this weekend following a series loss in the Bronx to the New York Yankees during the week. Fortunately, the Motor City Kitties swept the Chicago White Sox on the front end of that trip last weekend in a three-game set to at least assert dominance over their American League Central rivals.
This weekend sees things coming full circle as the ChiSox pay a visit to Motown for another three-game tangle. The Tigers are currently 12 games under .500 and nine games behind the first-place Minnesota Twins, having split the last 10 games as the team cements its third-place position; the Cleveland Guardians are only 2.5 games ahead for the second-place spot.
Take a look below at what is in store for this weekend’s ALC matchup between two perennial rivals that are riding out the rest of the regular season. Note that both Detroit and Chicago have a “to be determined” on their prospective pitchers list.
Detroit Tigers (64-76) vs. Chicago White Sox (54-86)
Times (EDT): Friday: 6:40 p.m.; Saturday: 6:10 p.m.; Sunday: 1:10 p.m.
Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
SB Nation Site: South Side Sox
Media: Bally Sports Detroit, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 141 Pitching Matchup
| Player | IP | K% | BB% | FIP | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | IP | K% | BB% | FIP | fWAR |
| Olson | 79.1 | 23.8 | 7.2 | 3.98 | 1.2 |
| Clevlinger | 101.2 | 20.1 | 8.8 | 4.38 | 1.7 |
Game 141: RHP Reese Olson (3-6, 4.65 ERA) vs. RHP Mike Clevinger (6-7, 3.90 ERA)
Olson threw an absolute gem his last time out against the ChiSox, hurling seven frames of scoreless ball on four hits and no walks while striking out just one for the win. It was a much-needed bounce back from three-straight outings in which the 24-year-old could not make it through five innings. A repeat performance would likely add another notch to the win column.
Clevlinger pitched opposite of Olson that day and got absolutely shelled by the Tigers’ offense. The 32-year-old surrendered eight runs on 12 hits (one home run) but no walks while striking out two over four frames. There is no reason Detroit cannot bring the pain like it did last weekend.
Game 142 Pitching Matchup
| Player | IP | K% | BB% | FIP | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | IP | K% | BB% | FIP | fWAR |
| Skubal | 57.1 | 28.8 | 5.2 | 2.37 | 2.0 |
| TBD | – | – | – | – | – |
Game 142: LHP Tarik Skubal (4-3, 3.77 ERA) vs. TBD
Skubal took the mound the following day and put up a solid performance — but not his best — in the winning effort. The 26-year-old threw seven innings of two-run ball on five hits and two walks while striking out seven. The southpaw’s strength appears to be building back up as he has tossed at least six frames in his last four starts.
Game 143 Pitching Matchup
| Player | IP | K% | BB% | FIP | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | IP | K% | BB% | FIP | fWAR |
| TBD | – | – | – | – | – |
| Scholtens | 74.0 | 15.2 | 7.3 | 5.04 | 0.3 |
Game 143: TBD vs. RHP Jesse Scholtens (1-7, 4.38 ERA)
Last, but not least, is Scholtens who did not face the Tigers last time around but did see them back at the end of May. In that outing, the 29-year-old earned a no-decision in a team loss in which he threw 4 2⁄3 innings of two-run ball on four hits and two walks while striking out three. More recently, the right-hander has been a bit erratic in his results including a shelling at the hands of the Kansas City Royals last time out.
Series Outlook: Repeat the sweep
The Tigers swept the Sox on the road, so why not bring that success back to the friendly confines of Comerica Park? This Chicago team is a hot mess and there is nothing wrong with kicking a rival while they are down — in fact, it feels great as a fan. The two starters that Detroit has lined up should both give their team a good chance at the W, and if all goes well, the Olde English D could find itself just nine games under .500.