Are the Detroit Tigers trying to rile up their fans or are they making some kind of late push to make things exciting in September?
The start of the three-game series with the New York Yankees on Friday at Comerica Park gives them another chance to showcase their skills.
After beating the Seattle Mariners 2-1 on Thursday to win the series, the Tigers (59-63) have won seven of their last 11 games. With this victory, Detroit has ended the Mariners’ hopes of winning the American League West. The only team in the AL better positioned than the Tigers on Friday is the team Seattle is chasing, the Houston Astros.
Detroit must continue this winning streak, as they are 7.5 games behind the last wild card spot, but they too are getting reinforcements. On Thursday, several media outlets reported that the Tigers want to bring two young talents onto the team.
Trey Sweeney was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers last month in exchange for pitcher Jack Flaherty. Also on the list is Jace Jung, the Tigers’ first-round pick in 2022. He is the younger brother of Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung.
Both are expected to see a lot of playing time in the final stretch. Jung has had a great season on offense, posting a batting average of .258/.380/.461/.841 with 15 home runs and 63 RBIs.
There are some questions about Detroit’s starting pitcher for Friday.
As of late morning, the Tigers had not announced a potential starter. Detroit has chosen to open at this spot in the rotation, and the last three times that has been Alex Faedo. However, he threw 33 pitches in his last outing, so he is likely unavailable.
Whoever pulls the ball will face a Yankees team (72-50) that is putting up some great numbers and fighting to win the AL East. New York is in a tight battle with the Baltimore Orioles to win the division.
While the Tigers are undecided on their starter, the Yankees are in no doubt. They will start with right-hander Gerrit Cole (3-2, 4.70), the AL’s reigning Cy Young winner, who missed most of the first half of the season with an arm injury.
Detroit is expected to match up with Keider Montero against New York’s Carlos Rodón on Saturday, while top prospect Tarik Skubal will take the ball against Marcus Stroman on Sunday.
