DETROIT TIGERS NOTES:
TIGERS WIN SECOND STRAIGHT OVER HOUSTON: The Tigers earned a series win over the Astros with a 6-3 win last night. Spencer Torkelson had three hits, including a double and a home run, and drove in three runs, while Riley Greene also had three hits and scored twice. Matt Vierling went 2×4 with a double and a RBI. Matt Manning made his season debut for the Tigers and picked up the win, allowing two runs on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts in 5.2 innings. Jason Foley worked 1.1 shutout frames in relief, while Chasen Shreve struck out one a scoreless inning.
FULLY TORKED: Spencer Torkelson continued to impact the baseball last night, tying a career high with three hits, including a double and his first homer of the season. Torkelson’s round-tripper left his bat at 106.0 MPH and traveled 424 feet. All three of Torkelson’s hits in last night’s game had an exit velocity of over 100.0 MPH and through his first five games of 2023, he has put nine balls in play at 100 MPH or greater.
EASY BEING GREENE: Riley Greene recorded his third career three-hit game last night, finishing the contest 3×4 with two runs scored. Greene has notched a hit in three straight contests and has reached base safely in four of five games this season.
TIGERS AND ASTROS: The Tigers and Astros conclude their first series of the season this afternoon. Along with this week’s three-game set in Houston, the two teams will also meet at Comerica Park for three games from August 25-27. With a win today, Detroit can complete a series sweep at Minute Maid Park for the second time in the last three seasons. The Astros have a 43-35 edge in the all-time series, including a 23- 16 advantage in games played in Houston.
ON DECK: The Tigers begin the home portion of their schedule tomorrow as they face the Red Sox. Since Comerica Park opened in 2000, Detroit is 15-8 in home openers, including winning 12 of its last 14. Boston won five-of-six games from the Tigers last season, including taking two-ofthree games at Comerica Park.
PREGAME FESTIVITIES ANNOUNCED FOR TIGERS HOME OPENER:
• Fans are encouraged to arrive early with gates opening at 10:30 a.m. The Miller Lite Home Run Happy Hour, located on the rebranded Comerica Landing, will take place from 10:30- 11:30 a.m. and feature select concession items for just $5, including 16 oz. beers, fountain drinks, hard seltzers, hot dogs and mac-n-cheese bowls.
• Michigan native and 2016 runner up on NBC’s “The Voice” Laith Al-Saadi to perform National Anthem before flyover, featuring four A-10 Thunderbolt “Warthog” aircrafts from the 107th Fighter Squadron, part of the 127th Wing located at Selfridge Air National Guard Base.
• Fans won’t want to miss the ceremonial first pitches, with legends representing the Detroit pro sports landscape in attendance
• The 2023 Tigers Opening Day Tailgate Party, hosted by Miller Lite and Bally Sports Detroit, to be hosted at Grand Circus Park.
INJURY REHAB UPDATE: Tyler Nevin continued an injury rehab assignment with Triple A Toledo yesterday at Omaha, starting at first base and
going 1×4 with a double. In four injury rehab games with the Mud Hens, Nevin has gone 7×13 with two doubles, a triple, a home run and two RBI. Nevin is currently on the injured list with a left oblique strain.
TIGERS ON THE IL:
• RHP Beau Brieske (right upper arm discomfort, 15-day IL on March 30, retroactive to March 27)
• RHP Michael Lorenzen (left groin strain, 15- day IL on March 30, retroactive to March 27)
• RHP Casey Mize (right elbow sprain, 60-day IL on February 17)
• INF Tyler Nevin (left oblique strain, 10-day IL on March 30, retroactive to March 27)
• RHP Freddy Pacheco (right elbow sprain, 60- day IL on March 27)
• LHP Tarik Skubal (left elbow strain, 60-day IL on March 14)
TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER – Eduardo Rodriguez • 0-1, 5.06 ERA (5.1IP/3ER)
• Rodriguez will make his second start of the season today in the series finale at Houston.
• Made his second consecutive Opening Day start on Thursday at Tampa Bay and took the loss, allowing three runs on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts in 5.1 innings. • Had a strong Spring Training, making five starts and posting a 1-0 record with a 1.47 ERA (18.1IP/3ER) and 21 strikeouts.
• Has made eight career starts against Houston, posting a 1-4 record with a 7.30 ERA (37.0IP/30ER) and 38 strikeouts…in three career starts at Minute Maid Park, he is 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA (17.1IP/8ER) and 17 strikeouts.
• Started 17 games for the Tigers last season and had a 5-5 record with a 4.05 ERA (91.0IP/41ER) and 72 strikeouts.
• Since 2018, he has a .667 winning percentage, which ranks eighth among all active Major League pitchers over that span (min. 100 starts).
HOUSTON ASTROS NOTES:
TODAY’S GAME: The Houston Astros, the reigning World Series champions, will play the finale of their three-game series with the Tigers today looking to stave off the sweep behind RHP Cristian Javier…the Astros and Javier will be opposed by Tigers Opening Day starter LHP Eduardo Rodriguez.
LEGEND OF THE FALL CLASSIC: RHP Cristian Javier was one of the most dominant pitchers in the Majors last season, as evidenced by his .171 opponent average, 0.97 WHIP and 173 strikeouts in his 134.1 innings pitched in the regular season… he followed that up with a huge performance in the postseason, making two scoreless starts for Houston, including an incredible performance in Game 4 of the World Series…trailing 2-1 in the series, the Astros started Javier in Game 4 in Philadelphia and he proceeded to toss the first 6.0 innings of a no-hitter in the Astros 5-0 series-turning win…the Astros went on to win Games 5 and 6 to clinch their title…the Astros Game 4 no-hitter marked just the second no-hitter in World Series history.
TODAY’S GIVEAWAY: At today’s game, all fans will receive a Yordan Alvarez World Series Replica Ring, presented by Gallery Furniture…today’s replica ring giveaway is the second of many scheduled for the 2023 season.
SEASON SWEEP: The Astros swept the Tigers in 2022, winning all seven of their games, including four games in Houston…the Tigers were one of three teams the Astros swept the season series from in 2022, also the Twins (6-0) and Mets (4-0).
WELCOME BACK!: This series, the Astros are welcoming back Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, who managed the Astros to their 2017 World Series championship…Hinch went 481-329 in his five seasons (2015-19) managing the Astros, with those 481 wins ranking as the second-most in franchise history (Bill Virdon ranks first with 544 wins)…Hinch’s .594 winning percentage as the Astros manager also ranks second in club
history, trailing only Dusty Baker (.595, 232-158).
AT THE HELM: Astros skipper Dusty Baker celebrated his 26th career Opening Day as a manager last week and his fourth at the helm in Houston…Baker, who ranks ninth all-time in managerial wins with 2,095 wins, has an outside shot of moving up to sixth all time by seasons end…en route, he’d have to surpass Joe McCarthy (8th, 2,125), Bucky Harris (7th, 2,158) and Sparky Anderson (6th 2,194).
ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Astros dropped their third straight ballgame last night, this time by a score of 6-3 to the visiting Tigers…LHP Framber Valdez (2ER/7IP) was handed the loss, despite working a solid 7.0 inning, while recording nine strikeouts…RF Kyle Tucker led the offense, as he went 2×3 with a homer and two RBI.
RUN OF SUCCESS: In addition to capturing the 2022 World Championship, Houston has played in three of the last four and four of the last six World Series, earning two championships along the way (2017, 2022)…the Astros have also advanced to the ALCS an MLB-record six consecutive seasons (2017-22).
EARLY LEAGUE LEADERS:1B José Abreu has opened his season with a six-game hitting streak, compiling nine hits on the season, which ties for fourth in the AL…LF Yordan Alvarez checks in with nine RBI, which ranks tied for first in the AL, while RF Kyle Tucker is also tied for first in the AL with six walks.
RACKIN’ UP RBI: LF Yordan Alvarez is off to a characteristically strong start into the young season, as he’s hitting .333 (7×21) with a double, two homers, nine RBI and a 1.058 OPS…this marks just the 10th time in club history for a player to record nine-plus RBI within the Astros first six games of a season… this also happened just two years ago, accomplished by RF Kyle Tucker (9 RBI in Astros first 6 games of 2021).
SEÑOR CIEN:LF Yordan Alvarez connected for his 100th career homer on Monday, becoming the 19th player in franchise history to reach the 100-homer mark…Alvarez reached that mark in 372 games, the fastest by an Astros player, topping 1B Lance Berkman, who hit his 100th career homer in his 452nd game.
THE BROTHERS MATON: RHP Phil Maton and his brother IF Nick Maton are active against each other for the second regular season series of their careers…Nick, who played for the Phillies in 2022, was active against the Astros in both the regular season and the World Series last season…meanwhile Phil was active during the regular season, but not the World Series due to injury…the two faced each other in that other regular season series, on Oct. 5, 2022 in Houston, with Nick connecting for a single off of Phil.
COOGS’ HOUSE!: OF Corey Julks, a native of Friendswood, TX, is off to a solid start to his Major League career, as he’s hitting .250 (4×16) thru his first four Major League games…Julks is a Houstonian in every aspect, attending Clear Brook HS and the University of Houston before being drafted by the Astros in 2017.
THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE CHANGE: The Astros and Twins game, originally scheduled for Thursday, has been postponed to Friday due to the upcoming weather forecast in Minneapolis… the forecast calls for snow and cold temperatures tonight into tomorrow morning, followed by sunshine and 50˚ on Friday.
TONIGHT’S STARTER: RHP CRISTIAN JAVIER
LAST START – 3/31 vs. CWS: took a no-decision after allowing 3 runs on 7 hits and striking out 5 batters through 5 IP… dating back to last postseason, had not surrendered a run in his last 6 starts, spanning 34.1 IP…Javier’s streak of 4 consecutive scoreless regular-season starts was the longest active such streak among traditional starters prior to his outing on 3/31.
WITH THE ‘STROS: 26-year old Dominican hurler settled into near-full-time starter role with a career-high 25 starts in ‘22 after working as a swingman within the Astros pitching staff in his first two seasons.
• originally signed with the Astros as an international free agent from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in March 2015…signed a five-year contract on 2/10/23 that will keep him with the Astros through ‘27
‘22 CAMPAIGN: was one of the most effective pitchers in the AL in ‘22….among pitchers with 140+ innings pitched, posted the lowest opponent batting average in the AL (.170), which was 16 points lower than 2nd-place finisher RHP Justin Verlander, who won the AL Cy Young RHP Justin Verlander (.186)… also ranked 2nd in K’s per 9.0 (11.74) and 4th in WHIP (0.95) this season…his 11.74 K’s per 9.0 ratio trailed only RHP Shohei Ohtani (11.87) (min. 140IP)…dating back to last postseason, Javier has not surrendered a run in his last six starts, spanning 34.1 IP…Javier’s streak of four consecutive scoreless regular-season starts is the longest active such streak among traditional starters.
POSTSEASON HEROICS: delivered one of the most historic starts in MLB postseason history in Gm. 4 of the ‘22 World Series, throwing six hitless innings to begin Astros combined no-hitter in 5-0 win…also struck out nine batters to just two walks in start…was the second no-hitter in World Series history and first combined no-hitter.
• Became the 10th pitcher in W.S. history with a no-hit bid of 6+ innings and was first to do so since Jerry Koosman (NYM) (6 IP) in Gm 2 of the 1969 W.S. at BAL…was followed by RHP Bryan Abreu, RHP Rafael Montero and RHP Ryan Pressly to complete the no-hitter, with each pitcher contributing one inning.
• has recorded a 2.20 ERA (8ER/32.2IP) 14 postseason games (2 GS) in his postseason career, dating back to ‘20…it’s the 2nd-lowest ERA of any postseason pitcher (min. 30 IP) since the beginning of the ‘20 postseason, trailing only Braves RHP Ian Anderson (1.26 ERA)…has held opponents to a .127 average (14×110) in his postseason career…is the lowest postseason opponent’s batting average of any MLB pitcher (min. 30 IP) since ‘20… the Astros are 11-3 in postseason games Javier has appeared in.
‘INVISABALL’: has held opponents to a .178 average (192×1077) throughout his MLB career…it is the lowest opponent’s batting average (min. 300 IP) of any MLB pitcher since entering the league in ‘20…the next-closest player during that stretch is Brewers RHP Corbin Burnes (.195).
NO-NO: contributed seven innings to a combined no-hitter vs. the Yankees on June 25 at Yankee Stadium…it was the 14th no-hitter in Astros history and the third combined no-hitter…Javier struck out a then-career high 13 batters…it was just the 2nd no-hitter tossed against the Yankees since 1959, with the Astros also delivering the other one (2003).
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: finished 3rd in the 2020 AL Rookie of the Year voting after leading all AL rookies in ERA (3.48)…marked the highest finish by an Astros rookie pitcher since Roy Oswalt finished second in the 2001 National League Rookie of the Year voting.
• was named the Astros Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2019…recorded a 1.74 ERA (22ER/113.2IP) with a career-high 170 strikeouts between three levels in the Astros system.
KNOW YOUR OPPONENT: has been quite effective in his career vs. the Tigers, going 1-1 with a 0.84 ERA (1 ER/10.2 IP) in 3 career appearances (1 start)…last faced the Tigers on 9/14/22 in Detroit, striking out 8 batters through 6 scoreless innings in a 2-1 Astros win…the Tigers are 1 of 3 AL opponents he’s held under a 1.00 ERA through at least 3 career appearances, along with NYY (0.60 ERA) and CLE (0.63 ERA).
