DETROIT TIGERS NOTES:
TIGERS FALL TO ORIOLES IN SERIES FINALE: The Tigers were unable to avoid a sweep against the Orioles, losing the series finale 2-1 in 10 innings. Eduardo Rodriguez started and was outstanding, working 7.0 shutout innings with one hit allowed, no walks and six strikeouts. Alex Lange pitched 1.1 scoreless frames in relief. At the plate, Matt Vierling went 2×5 and scored Detroit’s only run of the game, while Zach McKinstry was 1×3 with a double and a walk.
E-ROD CONTINUES TO SHINE: Eduardo Rodriguez continued his strong stretch of pitching yesterday against Baltimore, working 7.0 shutout innings with one hit allowed, no walks and six strikeouts. Rodriguez carried a perfect game until two outs in the seventh inning before allowing a single to Ryan Mountcastle. He was the first Tigers pitcher to retire the first 20 batters in a game since Jordan Zimmermann (6.2 perfect innings) at Toronto on March 28, 2019. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Rodriguez is the first pitcher in franchise history to have consecutive starts of at least 7.0 shutout innings, no walks and six-or-more strikeouts and the first big league pitcher to do so since Jacob deGrom from June 29-July 5, 2019. With yesterday’s outing, Rodriguez extended his streak of scoreless innings to 17.0, dating back to his start on April 12. The stretch is the second-longest of his career, behind only a 24.0 inning streak from June 29-September 1, 2018.
ZACH ATTACK: Zach McKinstry continued to show extra-base power on Sunday against the Orioles, going 1×3 with a double. McKinstry has recorded an extra-base hit in five of his last eight games, over which he has gone 7×20 with three doubles, two home runs and four RBI.
MR. ROGERS NEIGHBORHOOD: Jake Rogers drew a pair of walks in Sunday’s game at Baltimore. Rogers enter tonight’s game having reached base safely in 10 consecutive games, the longest streak of his big league career. Over his current streak, Rogers is hitting .267/.405/.533 with two doubles, two home runs and five RBI.
STREAKING: Javier Báez went 1×4 in Saturday’s game to extend his hitting streak to eight games, 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 10×29 with three doubles and seven RBI during his current streak, which is tied for the fourth-longest active streak in the big leagues.
TIGERS AND BREWERS: The Tigers and Brewers begin their only series of the season tonight in Milwaukee. The two teams last met in 2021 with Detroit winning three-of-four games, including splitting a two-game series at American Family Field. The Tigers lead the all-time series against the Brewers 227-205, including a narrow 108-106 edge in games played in Milwaukee.
ON THE ROAD: The Tigers are 0-3 on their current six-game road trip, which includes three games at Baltimore (0-3) and three games at Milwaukee (April 24-26). Detroit is 3-9 away from Comerica Park this season. As a team, the Tigers are hitting .186/.258/.290 on the road, while the pitching staff has a 4.93 ERA (104.0IP/57ER).
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, 10-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)
• RHP Trey Wingenter (right shoulder tendinitis, 15-day IL on April 22, retroactive to April 19)
TONIGHT’S TIGERS STARTING PITCHER – #48 Matthew Boyd • 0-1, 4.50 ERA (14.0IP/7ER)
• Boyd will make his fourth start of the season tonight in the series opener at Milwaukee.
• Did not factor into the decision in his last start on Tuesday in the first game of the doubleheader vs. Cleveland, tossing 5.0 innings and allowing three runs on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
• Has made two starts in his career against the Brewers, posting a 0-1 record with a 14.09 ERA (7.2IP/12ER) and six strikeouts…his only career appearance at American Family Field came on June 1, 2021, when he gave up five runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts in 4.2 innings.
• 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.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS NOTES:
WHAT’S BREWING?
Today’s Transactions
RHP Matt Bush was placed on the 15-day injured list with right rotator cuff tendinitis…..RHP Javy Guerra was designated for assignment…..
the team recalled RHP Jake Cousins and selected LHP Alex Claudio from Triple-A Nashville.
Best Records – MLB
Team Record
Tampa Bay ……………………….. 19-3 (.864)
Pittsburgh ………………………….16-7 (.696)
Milwaukee ……………………… 15-7 (.682)
Fool Me Once…
The Brewers are the only team in the Major Leagues this season not to lose consecutive games.
All-American
The Brewers are in a 12-game stretch (4-2) during which they are playing teams from the American League….. they are facing Seattle (3-0), Boston (1-2), Detroit (3g) and Los Angeles (3g) during this stretch.
Rease The Roof
Tonight’s starting pitcher, Colin Rea, will be pitching in Milwaukee for the first time in his career.
Let’s Touch Base
Willy Adames has reached base in 21 of his 22 games this season, including 12 consecutive games…..he has a .371 OBP and a team-leading 14 walks….. William Contreras has reached base in 16 of his 17 games this season…..he has a team-leading .391 OBP.
Let’s Get Rowdy!
Over his last 10 games, Rowdy Tellez is batting .314 (11-for-35) with 5 HR and 12 RBI.
TONIGHT’S GAME: Is game 4 (1-2) of a 9-game, 10-day homestand against Boston (1-2), Detroit (3g) and Los Angeles-AL (3g)…..following this homestand and an off day next Monday, the team takes a 6-game trip to Colorado (3g) and San Francisco (3g).
IN THE TRAINER’S ROOM: RHP Jason Alexander (right rotator cuff), LHP Aaron Ashby (left labrum), RHP Matt Bush (right rotator cuff), RHP Adrian Houser (right groin), OF Garrett Mitchell (left shoulder), OF Tyrone Taylor (right elbow), INF Luis Urías (left hamstring), RHP Gus Varland (right hand), LHP Justin Wilson (left elbow) and RHP Brandon Woodruff (right shoulder) are on the injured list…..Alexander, Ashby, Urías and Wilson are on the 60-day IL.
IN THE STANDINGS (25 days): The Brewers have spent the following number of days alone or tied at each position in the NL Central standings: FIRST: 22, SECOND: 1, THIRD: 2, FOURTH: 0, FIFTH: 0…..the team is currently in second place, trailing the first-place Pirates by half a game.
SERIES-LY SPEAKING: The Brewers are 5-2-0 in series play.
Game 1: 4-3, Game 2: 6-1, Game 3: 4-3, Game 4: 1-0
Sweep Wins (2): vs. NYM (3g, 4/3-4/5), at SEA (3g, 4/17-4/19)
Sweep Losses (-): None
AT HOME: The Brewers are 6-3 at home, going 2-1-0 in series play…..the team went 46-35 at home last season, going 15-8-4 in series play.
ON THE ROAD: The Brewers are 9-4 on the road, going 3-1-0 in series play…..the team went 40-41 on the road last season, going 9-12-5 in series play.
LET’S GO TO THE VIDEO TAPE: The Brewers have made three replay challenges this season, going 1-2…..their last challenge (lost) came on 4/12 at Arizona as an out call at first base (Willy Adames) stood
TONIGHT’S STARTER: #48 – RHP COLIN REA (2gs, 0-0, 4.22)
REA AT A GLANCE: Colin Rea, 32, will be making his third start of the season…..Rea last started last Tuesday at Seattle and received no decision in the Brewers’ 6-5, 11-inning win (5ip, 5h, 4r, 4er, 2bb, 2k, 1hbp, 73 pitches)…..he made his season debut on 4/13 at San Diego and had no decision in the Brewers’ 4-3, 10-inning win (5.2ip, 2h, 1r, 1er, 1bb, 6k, 1hr, 83 pitches)…..opponents are batting .189 (7-for-37, 1hr)…..Rea joined the Brewers from Triple-A Nashville, where he was 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 2 starts (7ip, 6h, 2r, 0er, 0bb, 9k)…..after pitching in Japan in 2022, he re-signed with Milwaukee on January 27 (non-roster invitee)…..his name is pronounced “RAY.”
LAST SEASON: Rea pitched in Japan, where he went 5-6 with a 3.96 ERA in 23 games/16 starts with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.
CAREER: Is 8-8 with a 4.85 ERA in 38 games/29 starts (165ip, 89er)…..has pitched for San Diego (2015-16), Miami (2016), Chicago-NL (2020) and Milwaukee (2021, ‘23)….. is 7-8 with a 4.88 ERA as a starter (149.1ip, 81er) and 1-0 with a 4.60 ERA as a reliever (15.2ip, 8er)…..Rea was originally selected by San Diego in the 12th round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft out of Indiana State University…..he underwent “Tommy John” surgery on 11/11/16, causing him to miss the entire 2017 season…..he was named 2019 Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year after going 14-4 with a 3.95 ERA in 26 starts at Triple-A Iowa (Cubs).
CAREER AT AMERICAN FAMILY FIELD: Rea has never pitched in Milwaukee.
CAREER ON THE ROAD: Is 3-4 with a 5.17 ERA in 18 games/11 starts (71.1ip, 41er)…..is 0-0 with a 4.22 ERA in 2 starts this season (10.2ip, 5er).
CAREER vs. TIGERS: Is 0-0 with a 4.50 ERA in 2 appearances, both coming in relief with the Cubs in 2020 at Comerica Park (2ip, 3h, 1r, 1er, 0bb, 1k).
