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DETROIT ( SANCHEZ )
TAMPA BAY ( KARNS ) |
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| 907 | DETROIT | +100 | Ov 7.5,+105 | +110 | Ov 7,+110 | | 908 | TAMPA BAY | -110 | Un 7.5,-125 | -120 | Un 7,-130 |
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| All Games | 48-50 | -5.2 | 55-41 | 4.5 | 0.276 | 0.331 | 0.430 | 0.761 | 4.7 | 0.270 | 0.326 | 0.436 | 0.761 | | Road Games | 23-23 | +2.1 | 27-19 | 4.3 | 0.264 | 0.321 | 0.421 | 0.742 | 4.8 | 0.276 | 0.329 | 0.444 | 0.773 | | vs Right-handed Starters | 33-41 | -11.2 | 41-31 | 4.5 | 0.275 | 0.325 | 0.427 | 0.752 | 4.8 | 0.269 | 0.323 | 0.435 | 0.758 | | Past 7 Games | 3-4 | -1.5 | 3-4 | 4.6 | 0.244 | 0.309 | 0.423 | 0.731 | 5.1 | 0.295 | 0.352 | 0.452 | 0.804 | | Night Games | 24-33 | -11.4 | 28-27 | 3.8 | 0.258 | 0.314 | 0.392 | 0.706 | 4.9 | 0.277 | 0.330 | 0.454 | 0.784 |
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| All Games | 4.5 | 0.276 | 0.331 | 98 | 3418 | 944 | 174 | 29 | 98 | 0.430 | 416 | 282 | 755 | 59 | 673 | 126 | 50 | 96 | 43 | | Road Games | 4.3 | 0.264 | 0.321 | 46 | 1619 | 428 | 74 | 10 | 53 | 0.421 | 189 | 135 | 381 | 27 | 303 | 60 | 21 | 42 | 14 | | Righty Starters | 4.5 | 0.275 | 0.325 | 74 | 2599 | 714 | 132 | 20 | 75 | 0.427 | 317 | 193 | 565 | 43 | 496 | 94 | 42 | 71 | 24 |
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| All Games | 4.22 | 1.425 | 294 | 145 | 138 | 310 | 32 | 109 | 239 | 13-14 | 23 | 10 | 69.7% | | Road Games | 4.47 | 1.414 | 133 | 68 | 66 | 141 | 16 | 47 | 108 | 5-6 | 14 | 5 | 73.7% |
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| All Games | 49-51 | -4.1 | 40-52 | 3.5 | 0.237 | 0.295 | 0.376 | 0.671 | 3.7 | 0.235 | 0.297 | 0.369 | 0.667 | | Home Games | 24-27 | -7 | 24-22 | 3.5 | 0.236 | 0.294 | 0.367 | 0.661 | 4.0 | 0.237 | 0.297 | 0.376 | 0.672 | | vs Right-handed Starters | 33-41 | -9 | 32-38 | 3.4 | 0.232 | 0.287 | 0.362 | 0.649 | 3.9 | 0.234 | 0.300 | 0.376 | 0.676 | | Past 7 Games | 2-5 | -4.1 | 1-4 | 2.0 | 0.213 | 0.269 | 0.347 | 0.615 | 3.6 | 0.236 | 0.286 | 0.341 | 0.626 | | Dome Games | 25-28 | -7.2 | 24-24 | 3.4 | 0.232 | 0.290 | 0.360 | 0.650 | 3.9 | 0.235 | 0.294 | 0.371 | 0.666 | | Night Games | 34-33 | +0.7 | 27-35 | 3.6 | 0.234 | 0.295 | 0.372 | 0.667 | 3.9 | 0.242 | 0.305 | 0.378 | 0.683 |
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| All Games | 3.5 | 0.237 | 0.295 | 100 | 3306 | 785 | 156 | 22 | 86 | 0.376 | 332 | 270 | 807 | 65 | 635 | 88 | 56 | 74 | 52 | | Home Games | 3.5 | 0.236 | 0.294 | 51 | 1634 | 386 | 73 | 9 | 41 | 0.367 | 165 | 134 | 420 | 38 | 310 | 41 | 28 | 34 | 33 | | Righty Starters | 3.4 | 0.232 | 0.287 | 74 | 2455 | 569 | 118 | 18 | 55 | 0.362 | 232 | 190 | 610 | 38 | 454 | 63 | 42 | 57 | 42 |
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| All Games | 3.77 | 1.261 | 334.7 | 148 | 140 | 294 | 42 | 128 | 306 | 16-20 | 40 | 9 | 81.6% | | Home Games | 3.98 | 1.205 | 174.3 | 81 | 77 | 153 | 26 | 57 | 180 | 9-8 | 20 | 4 | 83.3% |
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| 7/17/2015 | SANCHEZ(R) | BALTIMORE | JIMENEZ(R) | 7-3 | W | +100 | 8 ev | O | 8 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 0 | | 7/18/2015 | PRICE(L) | BALTIMORE | TILLMAN(R) | 0-3 | L | -140 | 8 un | U | 1 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 8 | 0 | | 7/19/2015 | VERLANDER(R) | BALTIMORE | GONZALEZ(R) | 3-9 | L | -115 | 9 un | O | 14 | 13 | 0 | 14 | 5 | 0 | | 7/20/2015 | SIMON(R) | SEATTLE | HAPP(L) | 5-4 | W | -110 | 9.5 ov | U | 6 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 0 | | 7/21/2015 | GREENE(R) | SEATTLE | WALKER(R) | 9-11 | L | +125 | 9 ev | O | 12 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 10 | 2 | | 7/22/2015 | SANCHEZ(R) | SEATTLE | MONTGOMERY(L) | 9-4 | W | -135 | 8.5 un | O | 13 | 8 | 1 | 11 | 8 | 2 | | 7/23/2015 | PRICE(L) | SEATTLE | IWAKUMA(R) | 2-3 | L | -160 | 7.5 un | U | 10 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 0 | | 7/24/2015 | VERLANDER(R) | @ BOSTON | PORCELLO(R) | 1-2 | L | 135 | 9 un | U | 7 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 6 | 0 | | 7/25/2015 | SIMON(R) | @ BOSTON | WRIGHT(R) | 5-1 | W | 115 | 9.5 un | U | 9 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 0 | | 7/26/2015 | GREENE(R) | @ BOSTON | RODRIGUEZ(L) | 1-11 | L | 140 | 9.5 un | O | 3 | 5 | 1 | 20 | 11 | 1 | | 7/27/2015 | SANCHEZ(R) | @ TAMPA BAY | KARNS(R) | | | 7/28/2015 | PRICE(L) | @ TAMPA BAY | ODORIZZI(R) | | | 7/29/2015 | VERLANDER(R) | @ TAMPA BAY | ARCHER(R) | | | 7/30/2015 | SIMON(R) | @ BALTIMORE | GONZALEZ(R) | | | 7/31/2015 | GREENE(R) | @ BALTIMORE | CHEN(L) | | | 8/1/2015 | SANCHEZ(R) | @ BALTIMORE | GAUSMAN(R) | | | 8/2/2015 | PRICE(L) | @ BALTIMORE | JIMENEZ(R) | |
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| 7/17/2015 | ODORIZZI(R) | @ TORONTO | HUTCHISON(R) | 2-6 | L | 140 | 8.5 un | U | 5 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 0 | | 7/18/2015 | RAMIREZ(L) | @ TORONTO | DICKEY(R) | 3-2 | W | 125 | 9 un | U | 8 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 1 | | 7/19/2015 | ARCHER(R) | @ TORONTO | ESTRADA(R) | 0-4 | L | -110 | 8 un | U | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 0 | | 7/20/2015 | MOORE(L) | @ PHILADELPHIA | BUCHANAN(R) | 3-5 | L | -115 | 8 ov | P | 6 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 1 | | 7/21/2015 | KARNS(R) | @ PHILADELPHIA | NOLA(R) | 1-0 | W | -135 | 7.5 un | U | 7 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 0 | | 7/22/2015 | ODORIZZI(R) | @ PHILADELPHIA | MORGAN(L) | 4-5 | L | -170 | 7.5 ov | O | 13 | 12 | 3 | 12 | 11 | 1 | | 7/24/2015 | ARCHER(R) | BALTIMORE | TILLMAN(R) | 3-1 | W | -155 | 6.5 un | U | 5 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 0 | | 7/25/2015 | RAMIREZ(L) | BALTIMORE | GONZALEZ(R) | 1-5 | L | -115 | 7 un | U | 5 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | | 7/26/2015 | MOORE(L) | BALTIMORE | CHEN(L) | 2-5 | L | +110 | 7 ov | P | 8 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 0 | | 7/27/2015 | KARNS(R) | DETROIT | SANCHEZ(R) | | | 7/28/2015 | ODORIZZI(R) | DETROIT | PRICE(L) | | | 7/29/2015 | ARCHER(R) | DETROIT | VERLANDER(R) | | | 7/31/2015 | RAMIREZ(L) | @ BOSTON | RODRIGUEZ(L) | | | 8/1/2015 | MOORE(L) | @ BOSTON | KELLY(R) | | | 8/2/2015 | KARNS(R) | @ BOSTON | MILEY(L) | | | 8/3/2015 | | @ CHI WHITE SOX | | |
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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. | | TAMPA BAY: ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - A year after being a trendy preseason pick to contend for the World Series, the Tampa Bay Rays are back in a familiar role as underdogs.
''That's good. ... We like that,'' three-time All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria said, noting the team has a history of flourishing most when little is expected from outside the organization.
''I just think it's going to be a really good year,'' the club's career home run and RBIs leader said. ''We've got a young team, a bunch of guys eager to learn and get out there and win games. I'm really looking forward to that.''
Former manager Joe Maddon - and his often unconventional way of doing things - is gone.
So is Andrew Friedman, the young executive who was architect of the teams that made the playoffs four of the past seven seasons.
The roster has a much different look, too, with 10 key players from a year ago either traded or released this winter.
''The end result is a club that we have optimism about, a club that we're excited about, that we think can compete for a playoff spot. And, that's what we want,'' team president of baseball operations Matt Silverman said.
''Every year, we want to come into camp believing our team can play meaningful games in September and have a chance to go to the playoffs, and even beyond,'' Silverman added. ''We have that - and at the same time, we've reloaded our minor league system, added some players who impact us this year, might impact us in the future, and we're better off because of that.''
Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, catcher Rene Rivera, outfielder Steven Souza Jr., and pitchers Kevin Jepsen, Ernesto Frieri and Burch Smith are offseason acquisitions who could figure in the team's success - or failure.
Smith and two other young starters - Matt Andriese and Nathan Karns - figure to begin the season in the rotation because of injuries to Alex Cobb, Drew Smyly, and Matt Moore.
The hope is the rest of the projected rotation, Chris Archer and Jake Odorizzi, can help the Rays stay afloat until they can get back to full strength.
''If you've got starting pitching, you've got a leg up on going into the season,'' rookie manager Kevin Cash said. ''We're very fortunate with the pitchers we have - starters and relievers.''
Cobb, sidelined by a forearm strain during spring training, believes the team will thrive as underdogs.
''We're not going to get bullied. A lot of people are picking us at the bottom, and we're going to embrace that and have each other's backs,'' the right-hander said.
''Any time anybody calls you out in your profession and makes you feel like you're not as good as you know you are, there's always something to prove,'' Cobb said. ''I don't feel like we need to have extra motivation. It's just going to be that much sweeter when we go out there and perform well.''
A look at the keys to the Rays' season:
WHO WILL LEAD?: Pitching and defense were staples during six consecutive winning seasons that produced four playoff berths and one trip to the World Series. The Rays slipped to 77-85 a year ago, their first losing record since 2007. They're banking on Cash, who has no previous managerial experience, being the right fit to restore winning ways. At 37, he's the youngest current manager or head coach in the four major professional sports.
BETTER LONGO: Longoria played in every game in 2014 for the first time in his career, however he hit a disappointing .253 with 22 homers and 91 RBIs. He's moving into the cleanup spot after batting third most of his career, and knows he has to be more consistent if the Rays - last in the AL in runs scored a year ago - are going to have a chance to be better offensively.
BEHIND THE PLATE: Catcher Ryan Hanigan was traded and backup Jose Molina was released this winter. The three-team deal that sent Wil Myers to San Diego and brought Souza to Tampa Bay from Washington, also landed Rivera from the Padres.
The Rays believe he's an upgrade defensively, as well as offensively.
Rivera posted career highs with a .252 batting average, 11 homers and 44 RBI's in 103 games last season. Still, the 31-year-old catcher stresses his job is to provide solid direction behind the plate.
''I want to help my pitching staff first. I think that's what the game is all about. If you pitch well, you're going to win some games,'' Rivera said. ''If I get a hit here, a hit there and help us win some games, that's even better.'' |
| | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA SPORTSTICKER AL PREVIEW (DETROIT-TAMPA BAY) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Tigers-Rays Preview* =====================
By JORDAN GARRETSON STATS Writer
Detroit (48-50) at Tampa Bay (49-51), 7:10 p.m. EDT
The Tampa Bay Rays and Detroit Tigers have been two of baseball's more consistent franchises over the last seven years.
But a postseason trip for either this year is far from a guarantee, which could prompt some tough decisions before the trade deadline.
These two struggling clubs open a three-game series Monday night at Tropicana Field.
Both teams rank among baseball's top six in winning percentage since 2008, but are four games out of the AL's second wild-card spot. Tampa Bay (49-51) is in danger of missing the postseason for a second straight year for the first time since 2007, while Detroit (48-50) has reached the playoffs in a major league best-tying four straight seasons.
The clock is ticking for both clubs to decide if they'll be buyers or sellers ahead of Friday's trade deadline, though if their recent play is any indication the latter appears likely.
The Rays have dropped six of nine since the All-Star break while averaging 2.1 runs and are a big league-worst 7-17 since June 28. John Jaso is the only player hitting better than .244 with at least 45 at-bats in that span, going 16 for 48, while six others are batting below .235.
Tampa Bay's 3.5 runs per game would be its fewest ever for a season. Even the 100-plus loss teams of 2001, '02 and '06 all averaged 4.2 or better.
"All we needed to do is get back to playing crisp, fundamental baseball, limiting the mistakes that we make," said outfielder Steven Souza Jr., whose 15 homers lead the team but is 4 for his last 50 with 27 strikeouts. "The reason we were so good the first two months is, we didn't give teams extra outs. We scored when we needed to. There's no one thing you can blame right now, we just needed to play good baseball."
The Tigers (48-50) have lost nine of 13, though unlike Tampa Bay, it's difficult to fault their bats, as they've averaged 4.2 runs and scored five-plus in three of those defeats.
However, they had just three hits and were pummeled for 20 in Sunday's 11-1 setback to a Boston team that had dropped nine of 10.
"I mean there's really not much to say," manager Brad Ausmus said.
Scheduled starter Nathan Karns (5-5, 3.47 ERA) has felt the brunt of Tampa Bay's futile offense, posting a 2.83 ERA in his last seven starts but left with a 2-2 record due to receiving six runs of support in 41 1-3 innings.
He allowed three hits over five scoreless innings and homered in a 1-0 win at Philadelphia on Tuesday, bouncing back after surrendering a career-high seven runs in an 8-3 loss at Kansas City before the All-Star break.
The right-hander has never faced Detroit.
The Tigers counter with Anibal Sanchez, who is 7-0 with a 3.16 ERA in his last eight starts. Sanchez (10-7, 4.59) also won seven straight decisions in 2013 but has never taken eight in a row.
The righty was bombarded the last time he saw Tampa Bay, giving up seven runs and walking four over 5 2-3 innings of a 7-2 home loss July 5, 2014. That defeat moved him to 2-2 with a 5.08 ERA in six career meetings.
Jaso is 1 for 14 off Sanchez.
The Rays won last season's series, 4-3.
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| | Last Updated: 5/2/2024 1:30:22 PM EST. |
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