CLEVELAND GUARDIANS NOTES:
DOUBLING IT UP IN DETROIT
Today marks the Guardians 1st doubleheader of the 2023 season…2022 saw Cleveland lead MLB with 11 doubleheaders played, tallying their most in a single season since 1984 (12DH)… CLE finished with an 11-11 record in 2022 doubleheader contests, including losses in 8 of their last 13 twin bill games (2-0 on April 20 vs. CWS, 1-1 on May 4 vs. SD, 1-1 on May 7 vs. TOR, 1-1 on June 7 vs. TEX, 1-1 on June 28 vs. MIN, 0-2 on July 2 vs. NYY, 0-2 on July 4 at DET, 1-1 on July 12 vs. CWS, 1-1 on July 23 vs. CWS, 1-1 on Aug. 15 vs. DET 2-0 on Sept. 17 vs. MIN)…the Guards went 8-6 against AL Central rivals in doubleheaders last season.
The Guardians are 241-209-8 (.535) against the Tigers all-time in doubleheaders…the Guards hold a 98-102-4 record in doubleheaders played in Detroit…the Tigers last hosted Cleveland in a twin bill on July 4, 2022 on a day that saw the Michiganders hosts sweep with a pair of victories…Detroit has won 4 of the last 6 doubleheader contests over the Guardians, last splitting with the Clevelanders on August 15, 2022 at Progressive Field (4-1, 5-7)… Cleveland’s last doubleheader sweep of Detroit came on Sept. 1, 2017 at Comerica Park.
TIGER TIE-UP
After going 2-1 against Washington, Cleveland will face their first AL Central opponent of the season to end a six-game road trip, as they head to Detroit for a three-game series from April 17-19…since TERRY FRANCONA took over in 2013, the Guardians are the only AL Central team with a .500+ record (54-37, .593) in Comerica Park…Cleveland holds a 106-73 record against Detroit since 2013, and is the only MLB team in that span with 100+ victories over the Tigers…the Guardians just barely tamed the Motor City Kitties in 2022, claiming the season series 10-9…Cleveland has now won the season series vs. the Tigers in each of the last seven seasons (2016-22)…the Guards posted just a 4-6 record in Detroit last year, their first sub-.500 campaign in the Motor City since going 4-5 in 2015…heading into this series, the all-time record between these two opponents is exactly 1,144-1,144 (.500) with each team averaging 4.5 runs per contest.
JOSÉ BEING JOSÉ
With his first home run of the season on Saturday, JOSÉ RAMÍREZ (193 career HR) broke a tie with Al Rosen for 10thmost HR in franchise history…he now trails Travis Hafner (200) for 9th-most HR…his blast to right field is the fourth home run off a 3-0 slider in the StatCast era (since 2015), last done by Ronald Acuña Jr. in 2019…Ramírez (295) remains just one double away from tying Charlie Jamieson (296) for the 7th-most doubles in franchise history.
Ramírez leads MLB this season with 4 intentional walks after tallying the most in baseball last year with 20…his 5 go-ahead RBI rank T1st in MLB this year with four others, and his 6 doubles rank T9th in the league…Ramírez also ranks 2nd in MLB with 15 plate appearances-per-strikeout and 12th in MLB/7th in the AL with 12 walks.
Since 2017, Ramírez has totaled 82 runs, 9 triples, 26 home runs, 92 RBI, 62 extra-base hits, 51 walks, 21 go-ahead RBI, 14 game-winning RBI and a .676 slugging percentage against the Tigers, leading all MLB hitters in each of those categories during that span…he also ranks 2nd with a .416 on-base percentage, T3rd with 119 hits, 3rd with 27 doubles and 6th with a .332 batting average against the Tigers in the last six years…Ramírez totaled 21 RBI in 19 games against Detroit last season.
ANDRRRRÉS
ANDRÉS GIMÉNEZ has an MLB-high 17 runs scored through 16 games this season…the last MLB players to tally 17+ runs in 16-or-fewer games to begin a season were Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr. (21 runs) and Oakland’s Mark Canha (18 runs), who both accomplished the feat in 2021…Giménez is also just the 7th hitter in franchise history to score 17 times in 16-or-fewer-games.
MOST RUNS BY CLE HITTER IN FIRST 16 GAMES OF SEASON PLAYER RUNS SEASON
Travis Hafner 23 2006
Hal Trotsky 20 1938
Matt Lawton 19 2002
Grady Sizemore 18 2007
ANDRÉS GIMÉNEZ 17 2023
Kenny Lofton 17 1994
Vic Power 17 1959
GUARDIANS OF THE BASEPATHS
With another steal on Sunday, Cleveland maintains the MLB lead with 25 stolen bases, just one swipe ahead of Baltimore’s 24… this marks just the 7th time in club history and the first time since tallying 26 steals in 1994 that Cleveland has 25+ steals in the first 16 games of the season…the last team before the Guards to tally 25+ steals through the team’s first 16 games of a season was when the 1999 Dodgers swiped 29 bases.
MYLES STRAW ranks T4th in MLB with 7 stolen bases, trailing Chicago-NL’s Nico Hoerner (9) & Baltimore’s Cedric Mullins and Jorge Mateo (8)…the Guardians feature four players with 4+ SB (Straw, Ramírez, Giménez and Kwan) and three players with 5+ SB (Straw, Giménez and Kwan), both the most of any MLB team… Straw has also showcased his speed out of the batter’s box as he leads MLB with 6 infield hits this season.
7, 8, AND 9 ARE JUST FINE
Cleveland has seen consistent production this season from their 7-8-9 hitters who rank highly in a number of categories through 16 games…as of Tuesday, the Guards rank 1st in MLB with a .291 batting average and 16 doubles from their bottom three hitters… their 27 walks also rank 2nd in MLB/1st in AL, trailing Los AngelesNL’s 29…the Guardians 30 runs scored rank 3rd in both MLB and the AL, trailing Tampa Bay’s 35 and Baltimore’s 34…they also rank T4th in MLB/T3rd in AL with 48 hits.
TONIGHT’S STARTER – #70 HUNTER GADDIS RHP
TONIGHT’S START
» The 25-year-old right-hander is slated to make his fourth start, third on the road, in the first of a 3-game set with the Detroit Tigers and the opener of divisional play for Cleveland…he was added to the Guardians pitching rotation after Triston McKenzie suffered a right major teres strain in his final spring start on March 26 vs. Cincinnati…this will be his sixth career start after making 2 spot starts in 2022 and 3 starts to begin the 2023 campaign…this is his first career outing against Detroit… it’s his second career start against a divisional opponent after suffering the loss and allowing 7 earned runs across 4.0 innings in an 8-2 defeat against Chicago-AL on September 15, 2022.
LAST TIME OUT
Gaddis got the nod in Cleveland’s 11-2 defeat against the New York Yankees on Tuesday…he gave up 8 earned runs on 8 hits over 3.0 innings…got through the first 2.0 innings, allowing one earned run…the Yankees plated 5 earned runs in the 3rd frame, highlighted by a 3-run shot from Franchy Cordero…he exited with 0 outs in the top of the 4th after allowing back-to-back singles in his first career outing against an AL East foe…in all three career starts at Progressive Field, he has thrown 4.0-innings-or-fewer, allowed 7+ hits, 6+ runs and at least one home run.
ROAD WARRIOR
Has traditionally fared better on the road in his career… making two career starts away from home, boasting a 3.72 ERA (4ER/9.2IP) while striking out 8 batters against 3 walks with a .171 opposing batting average (6-for-35)…in comparison, he has a 20.03 ERA (23ER/10.1IP) with 8 strikeouts, 3 walks and a .434 opposing batting average (23-for-59) in his 3 starts at home…he has also gotten ample support in his road starts, seeing a 8.38 run support average on the road in his career, compared to a 3.48 mark at home.
His only road start of 2023 came on April 5 at Oakland…he put together his most complete MLB pitching performance to date (6.0IP, 1H, 0R/ER, 2BB, 4SO), delivering 6.0 shutout frames and allowing one-hit-or-fewer for the first time in his pro career since May 19, 2022 for AA-Akron against Binghamton (6.0IP, 0H, 0R/ER, 1BB, 11SO)…he became the first Cleveland pitcher to twirl a start of 6-or-more shutout innings and allow one-hit-or-fewer within their first four career games since Addie Joss (9.0IP, 1H, 0R/ER, 4BB, 5SO) on April 26, 1902.
THE ARSENAL
Utilizes 4 different pitches, mostly using his 4-seam fastball and cutter…his changeup is his putaway pitch as batters have 5 strikeouts and a .091 batting average (1-for-11) in at-bats ending with it…his 4-seamer has caused him the most trouble, with batters hitting .412 (7-for-17) with 3 doubles in at-bats ending with the heater…he has mixed in a curveball 6.5% of the time.
DETROIT TIGERS NOTES:
TIGERS-GUARDIANS POSTPONED ON MONDAY:
The Tigers series opener against the Guardians on Monday was postponed due to inclement weather. The game will be made up today as part of a straight doubleheader with game one beginning at 1:10 and the second game starting 45 minutes after the conclusion of game one.
ROSTER MOVE: The Tigers have made the following roster move:
*Named RHP Will Vest as the 27th man for today’s doubleheader.
LET’S PLAY TWO: The Tigers today will play their first doubleheader of the season. In 2022, Detroit played nine twinbills, which was the third-most in the majors, behind Cleveland (11) and New York (NL) (10). The Tigers went 8-10 in doubleheader games last season.
MIGGY MAGIC: Miguel Cabrera provided the game-winning hit for the Tigers in Saturday’s game, knocking a pinch-hit single into center field to lift the Tigers to a 7-6 win. It marked his 15th career walk-off hit (last, May 26, 2022 vs. Cleveland) and his first in a pinch-hitting role. The hit was the 3,095th of Cabrera’s career, putting him 15 shy of tying Dave Winfield (3,110) for 22nd in MLB history.
BACK-TO-BACK WALK-OFF WINNERS: The Tigers won both of the games in the series against the Giants in walk-off fashion after Nick Maton’s three-run homer on Friday and Miguel Cabrera’s single on Saturday. It marked the first time Detroit has posted back-to-back walk-off wins since 2021 (September 12 vs. Tampa Bay and September 14 vs. Milwaukee).
BULLPENNING AT ITS BEST: The Tigers bullpen was excellent in Saturday’s game vs. San Francisco as five Detroit relievers combined to throw 7.0 shutout innings with only one hit allowed, three walks and six strikeouts. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it marked the first time the Tigers bullpen had thrown 7.0-or-more innings in a game and allowed no more than one hit since May 2, 2013 at Houston (also 7.0 IP, 1 H). During the Tigers current three-game winning streak, Detroit’s bullpen has allowed only three earned runs in 16.1 innings.
CARPENTER NAILS ONE: Kerry Carpenter hit his second homer of the season on Saturday, a solo shot in the second inning. The ball left his bat at 106.8 MPH, the third-hardest hit ball of his career and the second-hardest hit longball by a Tigers player this season, behind only Matt Vierling’s solo shot at 108 MPH on April 3 at Houston. Of Carpenter’s seven hits this season, five have gone for extra bases (three doubles, two home runs).
TIGERS TIDBITS: Javier Báez hit a double in the eighth inning of Saturday’s game. Baez has hit a two-bagger in three straight games, equaling the longest streak of his career…Nick Maton went 1×5 on Saturday to extend his hitting streak to five games. Maton’s career-long hitting streak is six games from April 19-25, 2021.
CENTRAL FOCUS: The Tigers today will play their first games this season against an American League Central opponent. Detroit went 34-42 last season against divisional opponents. The Tigers have finished below .500 against AL Central foes in each of the last five 162-game seasons.
TIGERS AND GUARDIANS: The Tigers and Guardians begin their season series today. With the balanced schedule in place this season, Detroit and Cleveland will play 13 times this season, down from 19 in previous seasons. The Tigers went 9-10 against the Guardians last season, including going 6-4 at Comerica Park.
TIGERS ON THE IL:
• RHP Beau Brieske (right upper arm discomfort, 15-day IL on March 30, retroactive to March 27)
• RHP Matt Manning (right foot fracture, 15-day IL on April 8, retroactive to April 7)
• OF Austin Meadows (anxiety, 15-day IL on April 12)
• RHP Casey Mize (right elbow sprain, 60-day IL on February 17)
• 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 GAME 1 TIGERS STARTING PITCHER – Matthew Boyd • 0-1, 4.00 ERA (9.0IP/4ER)
• Boyd will make his third start of the season today in the first game of the doubleheader vs. Cleveland.
• Took the loss in his most recent start on April 9 vs. Boston, allowing two runs on five hits with four walks and four strikeouts in 4.2 innings.
• Has pitched against the Guardians 16 times, including 14 as a starter, posting a 4-7 record with a 3.98 ERA (83.2IP/37ER) and 71 strikeouts..in 73 career appearances, including 70 starts, at Comerica Park, he has a 22-25 record with a 4.08 ERA (395.1IP/179ER) and 346 strikeouts.
• Missed most of the 2022 season while rehabbing from an injury, but returned in September to pitch in 10 games and help Seattle to the playoffs…went 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA (13.1IP/2ER) and 13 strikeouts in his 10 outings with the Mariners.
• Is in his second stint with the Tigers…was with the organization from 2015-21, appearing in 147 games, including 143 starts, and compiling a 37-60 record with a 4.87 ERA (777.2IP/421ER) and 752 strikeouts.
