BALTIMORE ORIOLES NOTES:
No release available.
DETROIT TIGERS NOTES:
TIGERS FALL IN SERIES OPENER TO BALTIMORE: The Tigers jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, but were unable to hold on, losing the series opener to Baltimore, 7-3, on Thursday night. Eric Haase reached base four times, going 2×3 with two RBI and two walks, while Kerry Carpenter and Zach McKinstry each added two hits. Joey Wentz started for Detroit and received a no decision, allowing two runs on four hits with a walk and six strikeouts in 5.2 innings. Will Vest pitched 1.1 perfect innings in relief and Tyler Alexander worked a scoreless inning with one hit.
STREAKING: Javier Báez enters tonight’s game on a 10-game hitting streak, the longest by a Tigers player this season. After starting the season 4×40 in his first 11 games of the season, Báez has gone 14×37 with four doubles and seven RBI during his current streak, which is the second-longest active streak in the big leagues, trailing only Houston’s Mauricio Dubón, who has a 20-game streak.
E-ROD AGAINST THE O’S: Eduardo Rodriguez will look to continue his success against the Orioles tonight. Entering tonight’s game, Rodriguez has
won his last 10 decisions against Baltimore, posting a 10-0 record with a 1.49 ERA over that stretch, which encompasses 14 games, including 12 starts. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Rodriguez’s streak is tied for the second longest current winning streak for one pitcher vs. one team, trailing only Clayton Kershaw, who has won his last 11 decisions against New York (NL).
HAASE BAT, WILL HIT: Eric Haase continued his solid performance at the plate last night, reaching base four times, going 2×3 with two RBI and two walks. It marked the fifth time in his career and the second time this season (other, April 18 vs. Cleveland (Game 1)) that Haase has reached base four-or-more times in a game. Haase has hit safely in 10 of his last 14 games with at least one at-bat, slashing .357/.438/.429 with three doubles and two RBI.
ZACH ATTACK: Zach McKinstry went 2×3 with a walk in last night’s game vs. Baltimore. McKinstry has recorded at least one hit in eight of his last 11 games, over which he is hitting .333/.394/.633 with three doubles, two home runs and four RBI.
TIGERS AND ORIOLES: The Tigers and Orioles continue their season series tonight. Baltimore has won the first four games this season. With
last night’s win, the Orioles clinched the season series over the Tigers for the first time since 2016.
AT COMERICA PARK: The Tigers are 0-1 on their current seven-game homestand, which includes four games vs. Baltimore (0-1) and three games vs. New York (NL) (May 2-4). Detroit is 4-5 at home this season. As a team, the Tigers are hitting .240/.311/.356 at Comerica Park, while the pitching staff has a 4.98 ERA (85.0IP/47ER).
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 12)
• OF Austin Meadows (anxiety, 10-day IL on April 8, retroactive to April 7)
• 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)
• RHP Trey Wingenter (right biceps tendinitis, 15-day IL on April 22, retroactive to April 19)
TONIGHT’S TIGERS STARTING PITCHER – #57 Eduardo Rodriguez • 1-2, 2.32 ERA (31.0IP/8ER)
• Rodriguez will make his sixth start of the series tonight vs. Baltimore.
• Turned in his second consecutive scoreless start in his last time out on Sunday at Baltimore, throwing 7.0 shutout innings with one hit allowed, no walks and six strikeouts…carried a perfect game into the seventh inning until a two-out single by Ryan Mountcastle…according to the Elias Sports Bureau, he became the first pitcher in Tigers history to have back-to-back starts of at least 7.0 shutout innings, no walks and six-or-more strikeouts and the first Major League pitcher to do so since Jacob deGrom from June 29-July 5, 2019…enters tonight’s game with 17.0 consecutive scoreless innings, the second-longest streak of his career (longest, 24.0 innings from June 29-September 1, 2018).
• Rodriguez has performed well in his career against the Orioles, posting a 13-5 record with a 2.79 ERA (132.1IP/41ER) and 135 strikeouts in 24 appearances, including 22 starts…his 13 victories against Baltimore leads all active pitchers, while his 2.79 ERA ranks fifth among actives (min. 50.0 IP).
• Since 2018, he has a .662 winning percentage, which ranks eighth among all active Major League pitchers over that span (min. 100 starts).
