The Detroit Tigers enjoyed a confidence-building weekend at home. They’ll try to keep the good vibes going when they host Central Division rival Kansas City in a three-game series that begins on Tuesday.
The Tigers had lost five straight before the Miami Marlins headed north to Michigan for a three-game series. Detroit swept the series by a combined score of 16-3.
“Collectively, you know, the sum of our parts is pretty good,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “Just because you lose a game or two doesn’t mean it defines you. … I trust this team and I believe in this team. It doesn’t shock or surprise me. And I hope it doesn’t shock or surprise anybody who follows us.”
Most of their runs came via the long ball. Javier Baez hit a solo shot in the series opener. Riley Greene smashed his first home of the season, a three-run shot, on Saturday.
Dillon Dingler, Kevin McGonigle and Kerry Carpenter went deep in Sunday’s 8-2 victory. It was the first career homer for rookie phenom McGonigle, who had three hits in the series finale to raise his average to .322.
“It meant everything,” McGonigle said of the homer. “Especially doing it in front of this city. I love this place already and I’m looking forward to a long future here. I can’t believe I was able to do that in front of them.”
McGonigle forced his way onto the team with a stellar spring. Hinch has moved the 21-year-old shortstop to the top of the lineup.
“This is just who he is,” Hinch said. “I like that he’s settling into playing every day at this level. Things will normalize for him as the attention settles down.”
Left-hander Framber Valdez (1-1, 4.76 ERA) will start the series opener for Detroit. Valdez gave up just one run in his first two outings, but he was lit up for eight runs and 10 hits in five innings at Minnesota in an 8-6 loss on Wednesday.
Valdez is 2-3 with a 3.29 ERA in nine career outings against Kansas City. He’ll be opposed by Cole Ragans (0-3, 5.91), the first left-hander to start against the Tigers this season.
Ragans was removed in the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday after taking a Jose Ramirez liner off his left hand. He avoided a serious injury, as he was diagnosed with a left thumb contusion.
Ragans said he felt he could have stayed in the contest.
“One of those things where it’s probably the right thing to do,” Ragans said. “But I think all of us as competitors, we want to play every chance we get. Obviously aggravating for me, just because I felt so good prior to that, and then something like that happens.”
Ragans is 3-2 with a 3.64 ERA in six career outings against Detroit.
Kansas City split a four-game series at home against the Chicago White Sox. The Royals lost the series finale on Sunday, 6-5. They had scored just seven runs in their previous five games.
The offense has yet to find a spark. They’ll head to Detroit with a .221 team batting average.
Sluggers Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez are both hitting .153.
“I think just with both of them, they’re expanding a little bit more than what they normally do,” manager Matt Quatraro said.
–Field Level Media
