Detroit opens up its seven-game home stand on Thursday against Toronto.
It has been a rough go for the Detroit Tigers since before the beginning of the All-Star break, and even since the conclusion of the midsummer classic, the team has struggled to put marks in the win column.
AJ Hinch and Co. dropped their third game in a row on Wednesday afternoon, 6-1 , getting swept on the road by the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates and giving them just one victory in their last 10 tries. Suffice it to say, the fanbase is starting to become a bit concerned.
The good news — hopefully — is that the team returns home to the comfortable confines of Comerica Park for the next seven games, starting with the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday. The visitors will play a four-game series in Motown, stretching across the weekend, before the Tigers invite the Diamondbacks for the second leg of the home stand.
The bad news is that these Blue Jays are surging, having won six of their last 10 and leap-frogging the Olde English D in the race for the best record in the majors. As it currently stands, the Milwaukee Brewers hold the best mark overall, while the Chicago Cubs , Houston Astros and Toronto are just one game back; Detroit is 1.5 games back.
Meanwhile, the Tigers still hold an 8-game lead in the American League Central with a dwindling plus-72 run differential; the Jays lead the AL East with a four-game lead over the New York Yankees and a plus-32 run differential.
To open things up, Detroit sends Reese Olson to the mound while Toronto has Eric Lauer taking the hill. Here is a quick look at how they match up.
Detroit Tigers (60-43) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (60-42)
Time (ET): 6:40 p.m.
Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
SB Nation Site: Bluebird Banter
Media: FanDuel Sports Detroit
, MLB.TV
, Tigers Radio Network
Game 104: RHP Reese Olson (4-3, 2.71 ERA) vs. LHP Eric Lauer (5-2, 2.80 ERA)
OLSON
Baseball Savant
LAUER
Baseball Savant