Red Sox at Tigers
Max Scherzer can become the first pitcher in the majors to reach 11 wins and the second pitcher in Detroit Tigers franchise history to start a season 11-0 when the hard-throwing right-hander takes the mound Saturday against the visiting Boston Red Sox. George Mullin (1909) was the only other Detroit pitcher to win his first 11 decisions - and one of his victories came in relief. Scherzer is 16-1 in his last 25 regular-season decisions dating to Aug. 5, 2012.
Boston will be at a decided disadvantage in the pitching matchup, with rookie Allen Webster making the start in place of an injured Clay Buchholz (9-0). Boston's offense, which has amassed a major league-best 386 runs, warmed up for its encounter with Scherzer by scoring 10 runs and pounding out 17 hits Friday night to halt a five-game losing streak at Comerica Park. It also ended a 10-game stretch in which the Red Sox had not scored more than five runs.
TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, FOX
PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Allen Webster (0-1, 11.74 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Max Scherzer (10-0, 3.08)
Webster, acquired in the blockbuster trade that sent Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett to the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, will be promoted from Triple-A Pawtucket to make his third career start. He had a solid major-league debut versus Kansas City on April 21, giving up two earned runs in six innings. He was battered by Minnesota for eight runs in 1 2/3 innings on May 8.
Scherzer has won three consecutive starts after limiting the Baltimore Orioles to one run on seven hits while striking out 10 in six innings. He is 5-0 in his last six starts while giving up a total of nine runs and yielding 22 hits over 42 innings in that span. Scherzer has struggled against the Red Sox in his career, logging a 1-3 record and 9.21 ERA in six starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Scherzer has struck out at least six batters in each of his first 14 starts, the first pitcher to do so since Boston's Pedro Martinez (2001).
2. Red Sox DH David Ortiz is 6-for-10 with two homers against Scherzer.
3. Tigers 3B Miguel Cabrera - the reigning Triple Crown winner - leads the American League in batting average (.368) and RBIs (74) and is second to Baltimore's Chris Davis (27) with 20 homers.