The Detroit Tigers (8-21, 4-12 away) begin a three-game American League series against the Boston Red Sox (17-12, 8-8 home) on Tuesday night. The series marks the first time this season the two teams will play each other.
Tuesday’s first pitch is at 7:10 p.m. inside Fenway Park in Boston, MA. According to oddsmakers, The Red Sox are the favorite, and the game’s run total is 9.0.
What to Know – Detroit Tigers
Detroit enters the week having lost ten of its last 11 games, including five in a row. The Tigers’ last victory came on April 27th, a 5-2 win over the Chicago White Sox. The season’s rough start has the Tigers sitting in the last place in the AL Central one month into the season.
Right-hander Michael Fulmer (1-1, 3.86 ERA, 1.05 WHIP) takes the mound and will attempt to give the Tigers a much-needed victory. Fulmer has pitched well in brief appearances this season, surrendering nine earned runs over 21 innings of work. The 28-year old tossed 2.0 innings of relief in his last outing, allowing two earned runs on four hits with three strikeouts.
Offensively, the Tigers plate a league-low 2.7 runs per game and sport the league’s worst team batting average of .195. There haven’t been many bright spots for Detroit’s offense, but catcher Wilson Ramos has connected on six home runs, and third baseman Jeimer Candelario leads the team in hits (30) and batting average (.278). Rookie centerfielder Akil Baddoo is a pleasant surprise, leading Detroit with 13 runs driven in.
What to Know – Boston Red Sox
Boston has been the opposite of its opponent, putting together a great opening month of play. However, the Red Sox stumbled over the weekend, dropping three of four games to the Texas Rangers. Even with the losses, Boston sits atop the AL East standings.
28-year old Nick Pivetta (3-0, 2.81 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) looks to maintain his clean record for the Red Sox. Pivetta has logged 25.2 innings this season, conceding eight earned runs while striking out 25. Pivetta tossed 5.0 innings of shutout baseball in his last outing, allowing one hit, three walks, and striking out seven.
The Red Sox score 4.8 runs per game behind a .261 team batting average, the second-highest in the majors. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts (.349 BA) and outfielder J.D. Martinez (.347 BA) highlight the Boston offense. Martinez is tied for a major league-high nine home runs and leads the majors with 26 RBI.
The Pick is In
Boston is one of the last teams Detroit wanted to face after dropping four in a row to the New York Yankees. The Red Sox offer no relief for Detroit’s losing ways, so the Tigers have to figure things out quickly before the season begins to get out of hand.
Fulmer and the Tigers need to put it all together to defeat the Red Sox at home, and that likely isn’t going to happen Tuesday night. Pivetta improves to 4-0, and the Red Rox maintains their AL East lead.
The Pick: Boston Red Sox -1.5
