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DETROIT ( SANCHEZ )
MINNESOTA ( PELFREY ) |
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| 925 | DETROIT | -135 | Ov 8.5,-110 | -140 | Ov 8.5,-125 | | 926 | MINNESOTA | +125 | Un 8.5,-110 | +130 | Un 8.5,+105 |
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| All Games | 14-6 | +7.2 | 11-9 | 4.7 | 0.290 | 0.361 | 0.440 | 0.801 | 4.0 | 0.238 | 0.298 | 0.363 | 0.661 | | Road Games | 6-1 | +5.4 | 5-2 | 5.3 | 0.304 | 0.379 | 0.466 | 0.845 | 3.4 | 0.221 | 0.264 | 0.310 | 0.573 | | vs Right-handed Starters | 8-5 | +1.9 | 7-6 | 4.8 | 0.298 | 0.364 | 0.433 | 0.797 | 4.3 | 0.231 | 0.297 | 0.362 | 0.659 | | Past 7 Games | 3-4 | -2.2 | 4-3 | 3.6 | 0.262 | 0.346 | 0.373 | 0.720 | 6.3 | 0.280 | 0.361 | 0.457 | 0.818 | | Grass Games | 14-6 | +7.2 | 11-9 | 4.7 | 0.290 | 0.361 | 0.440 | 0.801 | 4.0 | 0.238 | 0.298 | 0.363 | 0.661 | | Night Games | 4-3 | +0.2 | 3-4 | 2.4 | 0.253 | 0.332 | 0.344 | 0.676 | 5.1 | 0.252 | 0.311 | 0.419 | 0.730 | | Division | 11-2 | +8.8 | 9-4 | 6.1 | 0.323 | 0.395 | 0.510 | 0.905 | 4.2 | 0.252 | 0.307 | 0.362 | 0.669 |
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| All Games | 4.7 | 0.290 | 0.361 | 20 | 670 | 194 | 33 | 7 | 18 | 0.440 | 87 | 75 | 154 | 22 | 146 | 26 | 6 | 20 | 10 | | Road Games | 5.3 | 0.304 | 0.379 | 7 | 247 | 75 | 9 | 2 | 9 | 0.466 | 32 | 30 | 61 | 10 | 53 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 1 | | Righty Starters | 4.8 | 0.298 | 0.364 | 13 | 446 | 133 | 23 | 5 | 9 | 0.433 | 57 | 46 | 107 | 11 | 103 | 16 | 5 | 12 | 4 |
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| All Games | 4.41 | 1.245 | 53 | 28 | 26 | 47 | 7 | 19 | 35 | 2-1 | 9 | 1 | 90% | | Road Games | 3.63 | 0.923 | 17.3 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 1-0 | 5 | 1 | 83.3% |
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| All Games | 8-11 | -1 | 8-9 | 3.4 | 0.228 | 0.288 | 0.321 | 0.609 | 4.5 | 0.266 | 0.326 | 0.432 | 0.758 | | Home Games | 4-3 | +1.9 | 3-3 | 4.3 | 0.252 | 0.301 | 0.400 | 0.701 | 4.4 | 0.265 | 0.325 | 0.398 | 0.722 | | vs Right-handed Starters | 4-6 | -0.8 | 2-7 | 2.3 | 0.197 | 0.263 | 0.271 | 0.533 | 3.9 | 0.255 | 0.313 | 0.397 | 0.710 | | Past 7 Games | 3-4 | +0.1 | 3-3 | 3.6 | 0.235 | 0.305 | 0.308 | 0.613 | 3.9 | 0.243 | 0.313 | 0.438 | 0.751 | | Grass Games | 8-11 | -1 | 8-9 | 3.4 | 0.228 | 0.288 | 0.321 | 0.609 | 4.5 | 0.266 | 0.326 | 0.432 | 0.758 | | Night Games | 4-4 | +1.6 | 3-4 | 3.4 | 0.222 | 0.283 | 0.296 | 0.580 | 3.5 | 0.251 | 0.314 | 0.411 | 0.724 | | Division | 6-10 | -2.7 | 7-7 | 3.2 | 0.230 | 0.284 | 0.325 | 0.609 | 4.8 | 0.279 | 0.341 | 0.439 | 0.780 |
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| All Games | 3.4 | 0.228 | 0.288 | 19 | 641 | 146 | 29 | 2 | 9 | 0.321 | 59 | 54 | 151 | 5 | 132 | 13 | 12 | 19 | 15 | | Home Games | 4.3 | 0.252 | 0.301 | 7 | 230 | 58 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 0.400 | 28 | 16 | 53 | 1 | 43 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 3 | | Righty Starters | 2.3 | 0.197 | 0.263 | 10 | 325 | 64 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 0.271 | 19 | 29 | 88 | 4 | 67 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 5 |
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| All Games | 3.86 | 1.253 | 60.7 | 29 | 26 | 57 | 4 | 19 | 32 | 3-2 | 6 | 1 | 85.7% | | Home Games | 3.12 | 1.154 | 26 | 11 | 9 | 19 | 2 | 11 | 15 | 1-0 | 2 | 0 | 100% |
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| 4/14/2015 | GREENE(R) | @ PITTSBURGH | BURNETT(R) | 2-0 | W | 100 | 7.5 un | U | 9 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | | 4/15/2015 | SIMON(R) | @ PITTSBURGH | LIRIANO(L) | 1-0 | W | 135 | 7.5 un | U | 5 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | | 4/17/2015 | PRICE(L) | CHI WHITE SOX | SAMARDZIJA(R) | 2-1 | W | -160 | 8 un | U | 10 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | | 4/18/2015 | SANCHEZ(R) | CHI WHITE SOX | SALE(L) | 3-12 | L | -110 | 7.5 ov | O | 7 | 6 | 0 | 17 | 9 | 1 | | 4/19/2015 | GREENE(R) | CHI WHITE SOX | QUINTANA(L) | 9-1 | W | -145 | 8 ov | O | 12 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 0 | | 4/20/2015 | SIMON(R) | NY YANKEES | SABATHIA(L) | 2-1 | W | -120 | 9 un | U | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | | 4/21/2015 | LOBSTEIN(L) | NY YANKEES | EOVALDI(R) | 2-5 | L | -115 | 8.5 un | U | 10 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 11 | 0 | | 4/22/2015 | PRICE(L) | NY YANKEES | WARREN(R) | 4-13 | L | -185 | 7.5 un | O | 6 | 6 | 2 | 15 | 9 | 1 | | 4/23/2015 | SANCHEZ(R) | NY YANKEES | TANAKA(R) | 1-2 | L | -105 | 7.5 un | U | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | | 4/24/2015 | GREENE(R) | CLEVELAND | SALAZAR(R) | 1-13 | L | -115 | 8 ov | O | 8 | 11 | 0 | 15 | 3 | 0 | | 4/25/2015 | SIMON(R) | CLEVELAND | HOUSE(L) | 4-1 | W | -150 | 8.5 un | U | 8 | 11 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 1 | | 4/26/2015 | LOBSTEIN(L) | CLEVELAND | CARRASCO(R) | 8-6 | W | +100 | 8 un | O | 13 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 1 | | 4/27/2015 | PRICE(L) | @ MINNESOTA | MILONE(L) | 5-4 | W | -155 | 7.5 ov | O | 11 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 0 | | 4/28/2015 | SANCHEZ(R) | @ MINNESOTA | PELFREY(R) | | | 4/29/2015 | GREENE(R) | @ MINNESOTA | HUGHES(R) | | | 4/30/2015 | SIMON(R) | @ KANSAS CITY | DUFFY(L) | | | 5/1/2015 | LOBSTEIN(L) | @ KANSAS CITY | | | | 5/2/2015 | PRICE(L) | @ KANSAS CITY | VOLQUEZ(R) | | | 5/3/2015 | SANCHEZ(R) | @ KANSAS CITY | VARGAS(L) | | | 5/5/2015 | | @ CHI WHITE SOX | | |
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| 4/15/2015 | GIBSON(R) | KANSAS CITY | VOLQUEZ(R) | 3-1 | W | +115 | 8 un | U | 5 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 1 | | 4/16/2015 | MILONE(L) | KANSAS CITY | VARGAS(L) | 8-5 | W | +105 | 7.5 un | O | 14 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 1 | | 4/17/2015 | PELFREY(R) | CLEVELAND | KLUBER(R) | 3-2 | W | +170 | 8.5 un | U | 6 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 10 | 2 | | 4/18/2015 | HUGHES(R) | CLEVELAND | SALAZAR(R) | 2-4 | L | -105 | 8.5 un | U | 6 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 0 | | 4/19/2015 | MAY(R) | CLEVELAND | HOUSE(L) | 7-2 | W | +105 | 9 ev | P | 11 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 1 | | 4/20/2015 | GIBSON(R) | @ KANSAS CITY | VOLQUEZ(R) | 1-7 | L | 125 | 8 un | P | 5 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 1 | | 4/21/2015 | MILONE(L) | @ KANSAS CITY | VARGAS(L) | 5-6 | L | 135 | 8 un | O | 10 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 9 | 0 | | 4/22/2015 | PELFREY(R) | @ KANSAS CITY | GUTHRIE(R) | 3-0 | W | 135 | 8.5 un | U | 10 | 12 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 1 | | 4/24/2015 | HUGHES(R) | @ SEATTLE | HERNANDEZ(R) | 0-2 | L | 185 | 6.5 ev | U | 5 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 1 | | 4/25/2015 | MAY(R) | @ SEATTLE | PAXTON(L) | 8-5 | W | 140 | 7.5 un | O | 10 | 11 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 3 | | 4/26/2015 | GIBSON(R) | @ SEATTLE | ELIAS(L) | 4-2 | W | 135 | 7.5 un | U | 9 | 12 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 0 | | 4/27/2015 | MILONE(L) | DETROIT | PRICE(L) | 4-5 | L | +145 | 7.5 ov | O | 9 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 0 | | 4/28/2015 | PELFREY(R) | DETROIT | SANCHEZ(R) | | | 4/29/2015 | HUGHES(R) | DETROIT | GREENE(R) | | | 4/30/2015 | MAY(R) | CHI WHITE SOX | QUINTANA(L) | | | 5/1/2015 | GIBSON(R) | CHI WHITE SOX | DANKS(L) | | | 5/2/2015 | MILONE(L) | CHI WHITE SOX | NOESI(R) | | | 5/3/2015 | PELFREY(R) | CHI WHITE SOX | SAMARDZIJA(R) | | | 5/4/2015 | HUGHES(R) | OAKLAND | HAHN(R) | | | 5/5/2015 | | OAKLAND | | |
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| |  | DETROIT: DETROIT (AP) - The Detroit Tigers had barely finished celebrating a fourth straight division title last year when they were dispatched from the playoffs by Baltimore in a Division Series sweep. Then Kansas City - the team the Tigers fought so hard to hold off in the AL Central - rolled to the AL pennant and came within a game of winning the World Series.
It was enough to turn the Tigers into October afterthoughts for the first time in a while, and now it's fair to wonder whether Detroit's best chance to claim baseball's ultimate prize with its current core of stars has already come and gone.
''I'm not worried about what people are saying about us. I'm more worried about how we perform,'' manager Brad Ausmus said. ''I feel like this team is a winning team. This is a team that has an opportunity to win a World Series.''
The Tigers edged Kansas City by one game in the division last year in Ausmus' first season as manager, and their 90-72 record was similar enough to their previous work during this run of postseason appearances, but a three-game sweep at the hands of the Orioles snapped Detroit's streak of three straight trips to the AL Championship Series.
Then the Tigers lost Max Scherzer in the offseason, and it remains to be seen how much longer Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander and Victor Martinez can keep this team's run of success going.
Cabrera and Martinez each missed a chunk of the exhibition schedule after offseason surgery. Verlander is coming off a down year and has been displaced as Detroit's opening-day starter by left-hander David Price.
Over the past three seasons, the Tigers have fought off challenges in the division from the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland and Kansas City - but those teams essentially made their bids for first place one at a time. Now all three appear poised to threaten Detroit's reign.
''I think quietly, I've said for the last two or three years, I've said we have the best division in baseball. Nobody really talked about it because there weren't sexy names besides the Tigers, who had won however many straight and been to a couple World Series and had a lot of star power,'' Verlander said. ''The Royals won the pennant last year so, obviously, what I was saying wasn't just hogwash. We see all the teams in the AL quite enough, and I know that these teams are good enough to make our division one of the best in baseball.''
Here are a few things to watch as the Tigers try to make it five division championships in a row:
ON THE MEND: Cabrera had offseason surgery on his right foot and Martinez had an operation to repair his left knee. Their health is crucial, but the Tigers also are hoping for big contributions from shortstop Jose Iglesias and reliever Bruce Rondon, both of whom missed all of 2014 with injuries.
NEW-LOOK ROTATION: Scherzer isn't the only player gone from last year's starting staff. Rick Porcello was traded in a deal that brought Yoenis Cespedes to Detroit, so the Tigers had two openings in their rotation. They filled them by acquiring Shane Greene from the New York Yankees and Alfredo Simon from Cincinnati.
BULLPEN BLUES: Closer Joe Nathan is back after a rocky first season in Detroit. If the Tigers run out of patience with Nathan, Joakim Soria also returns. He was acquired shortly before the trade deadline last year, but his impact was limited, in part because of injury.
EXTRA POWER: J.D. Martinez provided a surprisingly productive bat last year after joining the Tigers, and the trade for Cespedes also gave Detroit some additional pop to supplement Cabrera and Victor Martinez.
NEW ACE?: Price is slated to start on opening day, a sign of just how much the Tigers are leaning on him after Scherzer's departure. He was acquired at the trade deadline last year, and Detroit is hoping the trio of Price, Verlander and Anibal Sanchez will make for a pretty impressive anchor to the pitching staff. | | MINNESOTA: MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Paul Molitor was hired as Minnesota's new manager, bringing Hall of Fame membership and renowned intelligence and intuition to a team seeking a fresh start.
The Twins brought back one of their most popular players ever, Torii Hunter, to help solidify an unsettled outfield, mentor a fledgling team and hit a few home runs. They have collected plenty of promising young hitters, either slated for the opening day lineup or waiting in the minor league wings.
None of that will matter much if the starting pitching continues to wobble the way it has the last four seasons.
Phil Hughes had by most measures a career year, his first away from the New York Yankees, but his ability to match that is low on the list of 2015 goals. Ricky Nolasco needs to rebound from a terrible first season with the Twins. Ervin Santana must show he's worth that $55 million, four-year contract. Kyle Gibson has to reduce the times (five of 31 starts in 2014) he goes three innings or less and gives up six runs or more. The fifth spot winner, Trevor May, Tommy Milone or Mike Pelfrey, needs to keep it.
''We'd put up a couple good starts and somebody would get hurt or we'd take a step backward,'' said Hughes, whose 2014 season has been one of the few true success stories of the rotation since it unraveled in 2011. ''Every good team I've been on, it seems like the rotation gets on a roll.''
New pitching coach Neil Allen will have more impact on the staff than Molitor, but after 13 years under manager Ron Gardenhire the clubhouse has been naturally buzzing with excitement about the new boss.
''He's one of the smartest baseball people I've ever been around,'' first baseman Joe Mauer said.
As for Hunter? His presence was desired for more energy and stronger camaraderie.
''If there's no tension between players and you're comfortable with everyone, you're going to play better,'' closer Glen Perkins said. ''So that's chemistry, I guess. I think we've held it together as much as we can, as much as we've struggled.''
Here are some key angles to know about the Twins in 2015:
MAUER IMPROVEMENT
Mauer, soon to turn 32, will make $23 million each of the next four years. Injuries have limited him to an average of 116 games from 2011-14. His batting average hit a career-low .277 last season, and he had a career-most 96 strikeouts despite time lost to an oblique muscle injury.
The Twins haven't lost faith in their franchise player, the homegrown guy who was the first overall draft pick in 2001. Playing for Molitor, whom he grew up admiring as an alumnus of the same St. Paul high school, ought to help.
''He's healthy. I think he's anxious to prove that last year was just an aberration,'' general manager Terry Ryan said.
LINEUP FLEXIBILITY
Molitor has been touting his options at the top and in the middle of the order, with a team that quietly scored the third-most runs in the majors after the All-Star break last year and added an accomplished hitter in Hunter.
One decision is whether to bat Mauer third, where he was most of his career until Gardenhire began to bat him second often over the last two seasons.
With Hunter, Kennys Vargas, Trevor Plouffe and Oswaldo Arcia, Molitor has power to play with in the heart of the order. The downsides are Arcia's inconsistency, leadoff man Danny Santana being the only player with a 2014 average above .290 and an unsettled situation in center field.
''It's a small sample, our track record from last year, but it's something you can use as a foundation to see potentially how your offense can work. We're going to have depth, I think, all the way down to the bottom,'' Molitor said.
BULLPEN SHUFFLE
The Twins could return as few as three relievers to their roles from last season: Perkins, Casey Fien and Brian Duensing. Blaine Boyer and Tim Stauffer, from San Diego, were signed. At least one of the losers in the fifth starter competition was headed for the seven-man bullpen. Rule 5 draft pick J.R. Graham, who must be returned to Atlanta if he's not on the 25-man roster, has been pushing for a spot, too.
Reliever use will be one area in which Molitor's strategy could differ from that of Gardenhire.
''I want to get them out of a one-inning mentality. Not that they all have it, or don't want to pitch more. But we've talked a lot about some of those guys, trying to get two innings out of them here, if we can,'' Molitor said. |
| | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA SPORTSTICKER AL PREVIEW (DETROIT-MINNESOTA) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Tigers-Twins Preview* ======================
By MATT BECKER STATS Editor
Detroit (13-6) at Minnesota (8-10), 8:10 p.m. EDT
A return to Target Field appears to be just what Detroit's Yoenis Cespedes needed to break out of a mini slump.
Cespedes looks to continue to feast on Minnesota pitching and help the Tigers to a fifth win in as many games against the Twins this season Tuesday night.
The Tigers (14-6) outscored the Twins 22-1 in sweeping a three-game series to open the season, with Cespedes going 5 for 13. He arrived in Minnesota amid a 2-for-13 slump before hitting a three-run homer and a double in Monday's 5-4 win, Detroit's third straight following a four-game losing streak.
Cespedes has hit safely in 18 of 19 career games against the Twins, batting .380 - his best average against any AL team - with five home runs, seven doubles and 24 RBIs. Most of that damage has come in 10 games at Target Field, where he is hitting .452 with three homers, six doubles and 17 RBIs.
The slugger is also 3 for 5 with a double against Mike Pelfrey (1-0, 2.65 ERA).
Cespedes isn't the only Tiger to frustrate the Twins (8-11) with Anibal Sanchez (1-2, 5.96) also regularly giving them fits.
The right-hander allowed three hits over 6 2-3 innings in an 11-0 win April 8, improving to 3-1 with a 1.72 ERA in his last nine starts in the series. He has a 1.53 ERA without a decision in his past four at Target Field.
After shutting down Minnesota in his season debut, Sanchez posted a 13.03 ERA in losing his next two starts. He rebounded Thursday, permitting a run and a hit while striking out eight and walking four in 6 1-3 innings of a 2-1 loss to the New York Yankees.
"He used all his pitches and he mixed things up," manager Brad Ausmus said. "He's been trying to be less rotational and come directly to the plate, and he was very good."
Sanchez has done an exceptional job against Brian Dozier, limiting him to one hit in 17 at-bats for an .059 average - his worst against any of the 20 pitchers he's faced at least 15 times.
Dozier doubled in Monday's opener and is 2 for 19 in his last five games against the Tigers.
Detroit's Jose Iglesias had a homer and a triple among his three hits to raise his average to .397. He is 9 for 16 against the Twins this season and 2 for 2 against Pelfrey.
"He's our spark plug," Monday's winner David Price said. "It's awesome what he's been able to do for us. ... He's been a good pick-me-up."
Pelfrey tossed seven innings of five-hit ball in Wednesday's 3-0 win over Kansas City in his third start after missing most of last season because of elbow surgery. It marked his first victory since beating Detroit on Aug. 20, 2013, a span of 14 starts, and the first time he went at least seven innings without allowing a run since Aug. 27, 2010.
"It's just one start so I don't want to make a big deal about it," the right-hander told MLB's official website. "But I hope to build off it."
Pelfrey, who pitched five innings in each of his first two outings, is 2-3 with a 4.54 ERA in six starts against the Tigers, last facing them Sept. 23, 2013.
Miguel Cabrera is 5 for 20 with no extra-base hits and seven walks against Pelfrey.
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| | Last Updated: 4/26/2024 4:31:25 PM EST. |
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