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DETROIT ( VERLANDER )
KANSAS CITY ( CUETO ) |
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| 923 | DETROIT | +140 | Ov 7,-110 | +150 | Ov 7,-115 | | 924 | KANSAS CITY | -150 | Un 7,-110 | -160 | Un 7,-105 |
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| All Games | 60-70 | -9.8 | 69-56 | 4.4 | 0.272 | 0.326 | 0.428 | 0.754 | 4.9 | 0.269 | 0.327 | 0.444 | 0.771 | | Road Games | 30-35 | +0.8 | 37-26 | 4.4 | 0.265 | 0.317 | 0.422 | 0.739 | 5.3 | 0.280 | 0.336 | 0.475 | 0.812 | | vs Right-handed Starters | 41-55 | -14.1 | 50-41 | 4.3 | 0.269 | 0.318 | 0.419 | 0.738 | 5.0 | 0.271 | 0.327 | 0.445 | 0.772 | | Past 7 Games | 1-6 | -5 | 4-3 | 3.3 | 0.223 | 0.282 | 0.391 | 0.672 | 7.3 | 0.297 | 0.381 | 0.559 | 0.940 | | Grass Games | 59-65 | -6.2 | 66-54 | 4.5 | 0.275 | 0.330 | 0.435 | 0.765 | 4.8 | 0.267 | 0.324 | 0.434 | 0.758 | | Night Games | 33-47 | -13.9 | 37-38 | 3.9 | 0.263 | 0.317 | 0.412 | 0.729 | 5.0 | 0.276 | 0.330 | 0.459 | 0.788 | | Division | 30-20 | +10.3 | 29-21 | 4.8 | 0.285 | 0.344 | 0.449 | 0.793 | 4.3 | 0.264 | 0.312 | 0.405 | 0.718 |
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| All Games | 4.4 | 0.272 | 0.326 | 130 | 4518 | 1227 | 232 | 41 | 131 | 0.428 | 541 | 364 | 1005 | 71 | 890 | 147 | 67 | 125 | 56 | | Road Games | 4.4 | 0.265 | 0.317 | 65 | 2298 | 608 | 111 | 14 | 74 | 0.422 | 273 | 178 | 555 | 35 | 430 | 72 | 30 | 59 | 25 | | Righty Starters | 4.3 | 0.269 | 0.318 | 96 | 3358 | 903 | 169 | 27 | 94 | 0.419 | 398 | 243 | 747 | 50 | 640 | 109 | 52 | 92 | 34 |
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| All Games | 4.68 | 1.480 | 383 | 210 | 199 | 413 | 45 | 154 | 320 | 19-17 | 29 | 15 | 65.9% | | Road Games | 5.44 | 1.550 | 190.4 | 121 | 115 | 218 | 26 | 77 | 165 | 9-9 | 18 | 8 | 69.2% |
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| All Games | 80-50 | +26.9 | 55-62 | 4.4 | 0.269 | 0.315 | 0.407 | 0.722 | 3.7 | 0.245 | 0.305 | 0.390 | 0.694 | | Home Games | 45-21 | +19.2 | 28-32 | 4.6 | 0.280 | 0.330 | 0.425 | 0.755 | 3.5 | 0.243 | 0.296 | 0.379 | 0.675 | | vs Right-handed Starters | 56-28 | +26.6 | 38-37 | 4.7 | 0.273 | 0.321 | 0.416 | 0.737 | 3.5 | 0.242 | 0.305 | 0.389 | 0.694 | | Past 7 Games | 5-2 | +2.6 | 3-3 | 4.6 | 0.279 | 0.337 | 0.421 | 0.758 | 3.4 | 0.224 | 0.268 | 0.388 | 0.656 | | Grass Games | 77-46 | +27.7 | 52-58 | 4.4 | 0.272 | 0.318 | 0.412 | 0.731 | 3.7 | 0.245 | 0.304 | 0.388 | 0.692 | | Night Games | 55-35 | +15.7 | 36-46 | 4.1 | 0.267 | 0.312 | 0.395 | 0.707 | 3.4 | 0.241 | 0.300 | 0.375 | 0.675 | | Division | 32-19 | +11.1 | 22-25 | 4.4 | 0.266 | 0.318 | 0.405 | 0.723 | 3.4 | 0.237 | 0.298 | 0.363 | 0.661 |
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| All Games | 4.4 | 0.269 | 0.315 | 130 | 4439 | 1196 | 233 | 35 | 102 | 0.407 | 542 | 295 | 741 | 84 | 861 | 130 | 69 | 109 | 59 | | Home Games | 4.6 | 0.280 | 0.330 | 66 | 2158 | 604 | 127 | 21 | 48 | 0.425 | 294 | 161 | 334 | 55 | 434 | 60 | 30 | 59 | 31 | | Righty Starters | 4.7 | 0.273 | 0.321 | 84 | 2848 | 777 | 147 | 27 | 69 | 0.416 | 371 | 203 | 478 | 56 | 545 | 82 | 34 | 73 | 40 |
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| All Games | 2.34 | 1.079 | 423.7 | 120 | 110 | 321 | 32 | 136 | 395 | 26-9 | 47 | 12 | 79.7% | | Home Games | 2.28 | 1.066 | 216.7 | 62 | 55 | 179 | 13 | 52 | 197 | 15-2 | 23 | 6 | 79.3% |
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| 8/18/2015 | SANCHEZ(R) | @ CHICAGO CUBS | HAMMEL(R) | 10-8 | W | 150 | 8.5 ov | O | 19 | 11 | 1 | 11 | 6 | 0 | | 8/19/2015 | NORRIS(L) | @ CHICAGO CUBS | LESTER(L) | 15-8 | W | 170 | 9 un | O | 21 | 10 | 2 | 11 | 7 | 0 | | 8/20/2015 | SIMON(R) | TEXAS | PEREZ(L) | 4-0 | W | -105 | 9.5 un | U | 7 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | | 8/21/2015 | VERLANDER(R) | TEXAS | LEWIS(R) | 0-2 | L | -125 | 8.5 ov | U | 7 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 | | 8/22/2015 | WOLF(L) | TEXAS | GALLARDO(R) | 3-5 | L | -105 | 9 un | U | 11 | 8 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 0 | | 8/23/2015 | BOYD(L) | TEXAS | HAMELS(L) | 2-4 | L | +120 | 8.5 un | U | 9 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 1 | | 8/24/2015 | FARMER(R) | @ CINCINNATI | SAMPSON(R) | 5-12 | L | 105 | 8.5 ov | O | 11 | 10 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 0 | | 8/25/2015 | SIMON(R) | LA ANGELS | WEAVER(R) | 7-8 | L | +110 | 9 ev | O | 12 | 10 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 2 | | 8/26/2015 | VERLANDER(R) | LA ANGELS | SANTIAGO(L) | 5-0 | W | -135 | 9 un | U | 7 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | 8/27/2015 | WOLF(L) | LA ANGELS | SHOEMAKER(R) | 0-2 | L | +105 | 9 ov | U | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 0 | | 8/28/2015 | BOYD(L) | @ TORONTO | DICKEY(R) | 3-5 | L | 180 | 9.5 un | U | 6 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 0 | | 8/29/2015 | FARMER(R) | @ TORONTO | HUTCHISON(R) | 1-15 | L | 225 | 9.5 ov | O | 7 | 7 | 2 | 18 | 9 | 0 | | 8/30/2015 | SIMON(R) | @ TORONTO | BUEHRLE(L) | 2-9 | L | 185 | 9.5 un | O | 7 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 1 | | 9/1/2015 | VERLANDER(R) | @ KANSAS CITY | CUETO(R) | | | 9/2/2015 | WOLF(L) | @ KANSAS CITY | VENTURA(R) | | | 9/3/2015 | BOYD(L) | @ KANSAS CITY | VOLQUEZ(R) | | | 9/4/2015 | FARMER(R) | CLEVELAND | KLUBER(R) | | | 9/5/2015 | SIMON(R) | CLEVELAND | SALAZAR(R) | | | 9/6/2015 | VERLANDER(R) | CLEVELAND | CARRASCO(R) | | | 9/7/2015 | | TAMPA BAY | | | | 9/8/2015 | | TAMPA BAY | | |
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| 8/18/2015 | VOLQUEZ(R) | @ CINCINNATI | IGLESIAS(R) | 3-1 | W | 110 | 7.5 un | U | 12 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 1 | | 8/19/2015 | GUTHRIE(R) | @ CINCINNATI | SAMPSON(R) | 4-3 | W | -115 | 8 ov | U | 11 | 10 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 0 | | 8/20/2015 | DUFFY(L) | @ BOSTON | MILEY(L) | 1-4 | L | 100 | 9 un | U | 6 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 1 | | 8/21/2015 | CUETO(R) | @ BOSTON | OWENS(L) | 2-7 | L | -150 | 8.5 un | O | 4 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 7 | 1 | | 8/22/2015 | VENTURA(R) | @ BOSTON | BARNES(R) | 6-3 | W | -135 | 9 un | P | 12 | 8 | 0 | 9 | 11 | 1 | | 8/23/2015 | VOLQUEZ(R) | @ BOSTON | RODRIGUEZ(L) | 8-6 | W | 105 | 8.5 un | O | 14 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 3 | | 8/24/2015 | MEDLEN(R) | BALTIMORE | JIMENEZ(R) | 8-3 | W | -135 | 7.5 un | O | 13 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | | 8/25/2015 | DUFFY(L) | BALTIMORE | GONZALEZ(R) | 3-2 | W | -120 | 8 un | U | 6 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 0 | | 8/26/2015 | CUETO(R) | BALTIMORE | CHEN(L) | 5-8 | L | -135 | 7 un | O | 11 | 6 | 0 | 13 | 4 | 0 | | 8/27/2015 | VENTURA(R) | BALTIMORE | TILLMAN(R) | 5-3 | W | -115 | 8 un | P | 12 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 0 | | 8/28/2015 | VOLQUEZ(R) | @ TAMPA BAY | RAMIREZ(R) | 3-2 | W | -110 | 7 un | U | 7 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 | | 8/29/2015 | MEDLEN(R) | @ TAMPA BAY | ODORIZZI(R) | 6-3 | W | -110 | 6.5 ev | O | 11 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 3 | | 8/30/2015 | DUFFY(L) | @ TAMPA BAY | KARNS(R) | 2-3 | L | 105 | 7 un | U | 7 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 1 | | 9/1/2015 | CUETO(R) | DETROIT | VERLANDER(R) | | | 9/2/2015 | VENTURA(R) | DETROIT | WOLF(L) | | | 9/3/2015 | VOLQUEZ(R) | DETROIT | BOYD(L) | | | 9/4/2015 | MEDLEN(R) | CHI WHITE SOX | SAMARDZIJA(R) | | | 9/5/2015 | DUFFY(L) | CHI WHITE SOX | QUINTANA(L) | | | 9/6/2015 | CUETO(R) | CHI WHITE SOX | SALE(L) | | | 9/7/2015 | | MINNESOTA | | | | 9/8/2015 | | MINNESOTA | | |
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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. | | KANSAS CITY: KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Every once in a while, Ned Yost will spin a story about his days on Bobby Cox's bench with the Atlanta Braves, back when the organization was winning NL pennants by the fistful.
Inevitably, Yost would start drawing comparisons to his Kansas City Royals - that they were building through the farm system in the same manner as the Braves, and Kansas City would embrace the franchise in the same way Atlanta did if it ever became a winner.
Last year, that narrative finally made sense.
After squeaking into the playoffs as a wild card, the Royals swept all the way to the World Series. If not for a virtuoso performance by Madison Bumgarner of the San Francisco Giants, the Royals might very well have been celebrating their second championship.
The postseason run led Yost to draw one more comparison when he arrived in Arizona for the start of a new season, and his players filed into the clubhouse for the first time.
''It definitely reminded me of that feeling in Atlanta,'' he said, ''when you came to spring training every year with the feeling that you have an opportunity to go to the World Series - instead of hoping, you know? And it's a different feeling.''
There is good reason for that feeling, too.
The Royals return most of the pieces from the club that ended a 29-year playoff drought, including one of the best bullpens in baseball history. And the pieces they did lose to free agency have been replaced with what could turn out to be upgrades.
Designated hitter Billy Butler is gone, Kendrys Morales signed in his place. Alex Rios is taking over for Nori Aoki in right field. Edinson Volquez was signed to fill the rotation spot of staff ace James Shields, who chased bigger money all the way to San Diego.
Even though a few faces have changed, the tenants that the Royals believe in have not: They will continue to rely on speed, defense and pitching to chase another playoff berth.
''Any time you're fortunate enough to keep those key pieces, you feel good,'' said Greg Holland, the Royals' All-Star closer. ''Yeah, we lost Billy and Shields and Nori, but for the most part, we're right where we need to be.''
Besides, the back end of the bullpen is still intact.
Kelvin Herrera harnessed his electrifying fastball to become a shutdown seventh-inning reliever last season. Former starter Wade Davis had a historically dominant year as the setup man. Holland further cemented his status as the AL's best closer.
''The way you tilt the field in your favor, in my opinion, is having quality pitching and really good defense,'' Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. ''Those are things that hopefully can show up every single day and perform for you.''
As the Royals approach opening day against the Chicago White Sox on April 6 at Kauffman Stadium, here are a few other story lines to watch this season:
THE ROTATION: Shields was the anchor in 2014, but he struggled mightily in the playoffs. So when the Royals signed Volquez to replace him, it was mostly met with a collective shrug.
Besides, the success of the rotation will more likely be determined by the success of young flamethrowers Danny Duffy and Yordano Ventura, both of whom have ace ability.
INJURY BUGS: The Royals stayed remarkably healthy last season. Will karma even out?
Second baseman Omar Infante already missed long stretches of spring training with a bone spur in his elbow that could require surgery next offseason. Left fielder Alex Gordon also got a slow start to the spring after undergoing wrist surgery this past offseason.
SLOW STARTS: The last couple of seasons, the Royals have gotten off to slow starts. They unsuccessfully dug out of a big hole two years ago, but pulled it off last season.
Considering every other team in the AL Central appeared to get better over the winter, the Royals can ill afford to let Detroit, Cleveland and Minnesota and the White Sox bury them.
RESTING SALVY: All-Star catcher Salvador Perez faded in the playoffs in part due to his heavy work load in the regular season, where he appeared in 150 games. Yost intends to give him more days off this year, though it's hard to take his bat out of the lineup.
BASEBALL TOWN: Did the World Series run turn Kansas City into a baseball town again? The club has been overshadowed for decades by the Chiefs, who play just across the parking lot in Arrowhead stadium. How will fans respond to having the reigning AL champions? |
| | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA SPORTSTICKER AL PREVIEW (DETROIT-KANSAS CITY) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Tigers-Royals Preview* =======================
By JORDAN GARRETSON STATS Writer
Detroit (60-70) at Kansas City (80-50), 8:10 p.m. EDT
The Kansas City Royals are running away with the AL Central, which means they're in the unfamiliar position of being ahead of the Detroit Tigers.
Though the balance of power in the division has shifted, Justin Verlander has reverted to vintage form, and that could mean a challenging series opener on Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium.
With the AL's best record and baseball's only double-digit lead atop a division, the Royals (80-50) are poised for their first division crown since 1985 when they won their only World Series title. Kansas City lost 3-2 Sunday at Tampa Bay, but still has won 17 of 23 and is 27-10 at home since June 7.
While the Royals only hold a 7-6 edge in the season series, they're 20 games ahead of the last-place Tigers (60-70), who are virtually guaranteed to miss the postseason for the first time in five years. Losers of nine of 10, Detroit hasn't finished below Kansas City since 2008.
Verlander (2-6, 3.45 ERA) owns at least one win against the Royals in every year of his career except his first season in 2005 when he made two starts and didn't face them. He could be poised to continue that trend with a 1.38 ERA over his last seven outings and 31 strikeouts over 29 innings in the last four.
He one-hit the Los Angeles Angels in a 5-0 victory Wednesday, fanning nine in his first complete game since 2012. Verlander had posted a 6.62 ERA in his first six outings after missing two months with a triceps injury.
"I think the last month's been really encouraging for me," he said after last week's win. "This just reaffirms that."
Verlander is just 2-3 with a 5.61 ERA in his last five meetings with the Royals and surrendered five runs and a season high-matching 10 hits over seven innings in a 5-1 home loss Aug. 4. The right-hander's 19 career wins against Kansas City are his most versus one team, however.
Starting for the Royals will be Johnny Cueto (2-3, 3.95), who allowed just six runs in his first four games for his new club but has been shakier in back-to-back losses against Boston and Baltimore. He allowed 12 earned runs and 21 hits over 11 innings, and Wednesday's 8-5 loss to the Orioles marked the first time he yielded three home runs since 2010.
"It feels a little weird because it doesn't happen to me very often," he said. "I'm not a robot. Just have to keep working, get ready for the next one."
This is already his third matchup with the Tigers since being traded to Kansas City. He turned in a four-hitter in a 4-0 victory Aug. 10 after giving up two runs over seven innings in a 2-1 loss Aug. 5.
Cueto also gave up three runs in 5 1-3 innings in an 8-4, 13-inning win with Cincinnati on June 17.
He hasn't lost three straight starts since 2012.
Eric Hosmer has hit safely in 22 of his last 23 meetings with Detroit with a 1.083 OPS in that span, while Lorenzo Cain is hitting .467 in his last eight home matchups with the Tigers. Cain is also batting .387 during an eight-game hitting streak overall.
Salvador Perez has hit .474 with two home runs and seven doubles in 38 at-bats against Verlander.
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| | Last Updated: 4/17/2024 11:17:19 PM EST. |
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