After recording their first series sweep at Yankee Stadium since 2008, the Detroit Tigers will look to carry the momentum into this weekend’s set against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas.
The teams will play three games over four days, beginning on Thursday. The series will take a break on Friday due to the World Cup round of 32 match between Australia and Egypt being played across the street at the home field of the Dallas Cowboys.
Detroit completed a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees on Wednesday with a 6-2 victory after scoring four runs in the 11th inning.
The Tigers’ starting pitchers allowed one earned run on four hits with 26 strikeouts and one walk in 19 1/3 innings during the series.
“We’re getting better,” Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said. “We had a productive June and I’m loving how July started. We played relaxed, we played fairly clean, we executed some big at-bats and we’re walking out of here with a sweep.”
The injury-plagued Rangers also have been trending in the right direction in recent weeks, finishing 16-12 in June. Texas had won six straight before losing 9-4 to the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday.
Rangers shortstop Corey Seager was placed on the 10-day injured list due to lower back inflammation on Wednesday, marking his third stint on the list this season.
Wyatt Langford landed on the injured list with a left hamstring strain on Saturday, and fellow outfielder Brandon Nimmo is day-to-day with a sprained left shoulder.
“Here’s what I know about baseball: it doesn’t stop for anybody,” Texas manager Skip Schumaker said. “These guys have a will to win.. … I don’t think anyone’s relying on anybody.”
Even with the injuries, Texas finds itself tied with the Seattle Mariners atop the American League West standings.
“We’re in it,” Schumaker said. “We’re more than in it. We feel like this is who we should have been a couple months ago. This is what you’re hoping for at the midway point. That’s all you can ask for.”
Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (8-7, 3.95 ERA) will take the mound for Texas in the series opener. He won his third straight start last Friday, tossing seven shutout innings in a 5-4 road victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Eovaldi, 36, has posted a 2.70 ERA with a 24-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio over his past three outings, covering 20 innings.
Eovaldi is 5-0 with a 2.54 ERA in eight career starts versus Detroit.
The Tigers will counter with left-hander Framber Valdez (4-5, 4.05), who gave up four runs over six innings in a no-decision against the Houston Astros last Saturday.
The 32-year-old Valdez, who is 9-6 with a 2.80 ERA in 20 career games (17 starts) versus Texas, including 1-1 with a 2.70 mark in three outings last season.
The Tigers will be without reliever Will Vest this weekend after he landed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with inflammation in the back of his right elbow.
“He’s a guy that wants to pitch through everything,” Hinch said. “But him not being able to locate pitches, him not feeling great after outings, we’ve got to get this checked out and see exactly what we’re dealing with.”
–Field Level Media
