DETROIT TIGERS NOTES:
TIGERS HOLD ON FOR 8-6 WIN IN SERIES OPENER: The Tigers raced out to an 8-0 lead and held on for an 8-6 win over the Nationals on Friday. Detroit hit a season-high four homers in the win with Akil Baddoo, Riley Greene, Zach McKinstry and Matt Vierling each going deep. Matthew Boyd started for the Tigers and improved his record to 3-3, allowing three runs on four hits with a walk and four strikeouts in 5.2 innings. Alex Lange struck out two in a perfect 1.1 innings for his eighth save of the season.
GREENE MEANS GO: Riley Greene continued his hot stretch at the plate last night, going 2×4 with a solo home run and a walk. Greene has recorded at least one hit in 17 of his last 19 games, batting .382/.427/.539 with six doubles, two homers and 10 RBI. Since April 26, Greene leads the Majors in batting average, while he ranks second in the American League and sixth in the big leagues in on-base percentage.
LOCKDOWN LANGE: Alex Lange closed out last night’s win, throwing 1.1 perfect innings with two strikeouts to notch his eighth save of the season and his first career multi-inning save. Lange has not allowed a run in 15 straight games, the longest streak of his career and the longest active streak among Major League relievers. Over those 15 outings, he has thrown 14.2 scoreless innings with five hits allowed, six walks and 25 strikeouts. Entering today’s game, Lange ranks tied for seventh in the American League with eight saves.
HOMER HIGHLIGHTS: The Tigers slugged a season-high four home runs in last night’s victory, their most homers in a game since also hitting four on September 7, 2022 at Los Angeles (AL)…Zach McKinstry led off last night’s game with a homer, his first career lead off homer… Riley Greene’s round-tripper in the sixth inning was hit at a height of 162 feet, tied for the third-highest homer in the Majors this season.
MIGGY VS. THE NATS: Miguel Cabrera has posted impressive numbers in his career against Washington, entering tonight’s game batting .363/.451/.605 with 18 doubles, one triple, 21 homers and 83 RBI in 94 career games. Among active players with at least 50 at-bats vs. the Nationals, he ranks third in on-base percentage and fourth in batting average.
TIGERS AND NATIONALS: The Tigers and Nationals continue their only series of the season today. The two teams last met in 2019 in Detroit with Washington winning two-of-three games. Detroit has a 13-10 lead in the all-time series, but Washington has won four of the six meetings at Nationals Park.
INTERLEAGUE ACTION: The Tigers continue their interleague schedule today against the Nationals. Detroit is 11-3 against National League foes this season, including a 4-0 record against NL East teams. The Tigers have finished with a winning record against NL opponents in each of the last two seasons.
ON THE ROAD: The Tigers are 1-0 on their six-game road trip, which includes three games at Washington (1-0) and three games at Kansas City (May 22-24). Detroit has a 10-12 record away from Comerica Park this season. As a team, the Tigers are hitting .224/.290/.347 on the road, while the pitching staff has a 4.41 ERA (192.0IP/94ER).
TIGERS ON THE IL:
- RHP Beau Brieske (right upper arm discomfort, 60-day IL on March 30, retroactive to March 27)
- OF Kerry Carpenter (right shoulder sprain, 10-day IL on April 29, retroactive to April 28)
- RHP Matt Manning (right foot fracture, 60-day IL on April 12)
- OF Austin Meadows (anxiety, 60-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 Spencer Turnbull (neck discomfort, 15-day IL on May 12, retroactive to May 7)
- RHP Trey Wingenter (right biceps tendinitis, 15-day IL on April 22, retroactive to April 19)
TODAY’S TIGERS STARTING PITCHER – #49 Alex Faedo • 0-1, 4.22 ERA (10.2IP/5ER)
- Faedo will make his third start of the season for the Tigers today at Washington.
- Turned in a quality start, but took the loss in his most recent start last Saturday vs. Seattle, allowing three runs on four hits with a walk and a career high tying seven strikeouts in 6.0 innings.
- Will be making his first career appearance against the Nationals today.
- Has made five starts with Triple A Toledo this season, posting a 0-1 record with a 2.50 ERA (18.0IP/5ER) and 19 strikeouts.
- Saw the first Major League action of his career in 2022 with the Tigers, starting 12 games and going 1-5 with a 5.53 ERA (53.2IP/33ER) and 44 strikeouts.
- Began his big league career by throwing at least 5.0 innings and allowing no more than two runs in each of his first seven starts..,according to the Elias Sports Bureau, joined Jered Weaver in 2006 and Boo Ferriss in 1945 as the only pitchers to accomplish that…was the first Tigers pitcher to ever do so in more than four straight games to start his career.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS NOTES:
FOUGHT TO THE END
Faced with an 8-0 deficit, the Washington Nationals plated three runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to pull within two runs of the Detroit Tigers on Friday night…The rally fell short and the Nationals dropped the first game of the series.
- Lane Thomas and Keibert Ruiz each clubbed two-run home runs to power the rally.
- The Nationals will enjoy a day off on Monday before welcoming the San Diego Padres to Nationals Park for a three-game series starting Tuesday.
ROSTER MOVE
The Nationals reinstated right-handed pitcher Chad Kuhl from the 15-day Injured List and optioned righthanded pitcher Hobie Harris to Triple-A Rochester on Saturday.
STREAKS ON STREAKS
Some streaks to keep your eyes on:
- Lane Thomas has reached safely in a career-high 16 straight games and has hit safely in 14 of the 16… Thomas is hitting .323 (21-for-65) with two doubles, a triple, five homers, 10 RBI, four walks, one hit by pitch, two stolen bases and 14 runs scored during this streak.
- Joey Meneses has reached safely in 11 straight games, going 17-for-46 (.370) with five doubles, a homer, 12 RBI, three walks and six runs scored during the streak…It is tied for the longest on-base streak of his career with an 11-game streak from Aug. 5-17, 2022.
- Dominic Smith has reached base safely in 12 consecutive games and 18 of his last 20 games…He is hitting .359 (14-for-39) with a .490 on-base percentage (10 BB, 6 SO) during the streak…The 12-game streak is the fourth-longest of his career (longest: 15 G, Aug. 5-25, 2020).
THE CANDY MAN
Jeimer Candelario has reached base safely in 11 of his last 20 plate appearances, going 10-for-19 (.526) with three doubles, a triple, a homer, three RBI, one walk and four runs scored across his last five games…He has at least one extra-base hit in four of the five games.
- He’s raised his slash line from .211/.276/.354 on May 15 to .247/.306/.422 entering play today.
- The 10 hits in five games are a career-best…The most hits he’s had in a six-game span is 12, Sept. 6-10, 2020.
- Candelario is 12-for-31 (.287) and has reached safely in 18 of 37 plate appearances (.486 OBP) over his last nine games.
CHASING 1,000
With 995 in hand, Corey Dickerson is five hits away from 1,000 for his career…When he collects hit no. 1,000, he will become the 12th player in Nationals history (2005-pres.) to record his 1,000th hit in a Nationals uniform, according to the Elias Sports Bureau…The last to do it was Brian Dozier in 2019.
LEFT IS RIGHT
The Nationals rank third among Major League clubs in batting average (.292) and fourth in on-base percentage (.356) against lefthanded pitching this season.
- Dominic Smith ranks fifth (.320) and Luis García ranks sixth (.317) among National League left-handed hitters against left-handed pitchers this season.
- Lane Thomas is tied for fifth in the National League with 18 hits against lefties and ninth with a .360 average against left-handed pitchers.
DEFENSE NOT RESTING
Thanks to strong infield defense so far this season, Nationals opponents have a .231 batting average on ground balls, seventh-best in the National League (MLB avg: .243)…In 2022, the Nationals had the third-highest opponents’ batting average on ground balls in Major League Baseball (.260).
- Washington ranks fifth in Major League Baseball with 43 double plays turned this season
TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER – #46 PATRICK CORBIN
Left-handed pitcher signed a six-year contract with the Nationals on Dec. 7, 2018…Was the winning pitcher in Game 7 of the 2019 World Series…Is a two-time National League All-Star (2018, 2013)… Has started at least 30 games for five consecutive full seasons (2017-19, 2021-22), joining Gerrit Cole as the only pitchers since 2017 to accomplish the feat.
LAST START
Earned his second win of the season on May 15 vs. New York (NL)…Allowed two earned runs on eight hits with one walk and one strikeout in 6.0 innings of work.
vs. DETROIT
Faces the Detroit Tigers for the first time…With this start, he will have now faced every club in Major League Baseball.
DEUCES WILD
Corbin has allowed exactly two earned runs in each of his last three starts…He is 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA (6 ER/19.0 IP) with 10 strikeouts and one walk during this stretch.
RECENCY BIAS
Corbin has pitched to a 3.47 ERA (14 ER/36.1 IP) over his last six starts…He has 22 strikeouts and just four walks over this stretch…He’s tossed at least 6.0 innings in five of the six…He has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of those starts, making five quality starts.
NO WALK SIGN
Corbin is tied for fourth in the National League with 1.79 walks per 9.0 innings…His 10 walks this season are tied for the sixth-fewest among Major League pitchers with at least 50.0 innings pitched.
THE SLIDE PIECE
Corbin’s signature slider has induced 49 swings and misses, tied for the third-most of any left-handed pitcher behind Clayton Kershaw (87), Reid Detmers (56) and with Jesus Luzardo (49).
CAREFUL OVER THERE
Corbin is tied for fourth in Major League Baseball with two pickoffs already this year…He picked off three runners each of the past two seasons (2021-22) and his career-high for pickoffs in a season is four in 2019.
APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT, FELLAS
Since joining the Nationals in 2019, Corbin is 28-3 with a 2.65 ERA in 35 starts when he throws at least 6.0 innings and receives at least three runs of support… The Nationals are 33-3 in those games
