Royals at Tigers
Michael Fulmer's first foray in the majors has been a smashing success, especially considering how much of it has come on the road. The 23-year-old rookie will try to avenge one of his two defeats this season in a rare home turn Sunday as his Detroit Tigers try to take the rubber match of their three-game series against the Kansas City Royals.
Since winning at Minnesota in his big-league debut on April 29, Fulmer has continued to take his show on the road and made 10 of his 13 career starts outside of Detroit, going 7-2 with a 2.43 ERA. The Oklahoma native has been even better at home (2-0, 1.04) and will be seeking payback after the Royals handed him a loss despite having given up only one run in 5 2/3 frames on June 17. Kansas City roughed up the Tigers' bullpen following his departure that night in a 10-3 victory and improved to 6-3 this season against Detroit after riding four first-inning runs to an 8-4 win on Saturday. The Royals did their best to spread the wealth offensively in their most recent triumph, as all but one player recorded a hit and scored a run.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City, FSN Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Yordano Ventura (6-7, 5.15 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Michael Fulmer (9-2, 2.11)
Ventura has lost each of his last three starts since serving an eight-game suspension, but he turned in his finest outing over that time against Seattle on July 8, permitting three runs on six hits across seven innings. The 25-year-old Dominican showed no ill effects from the ankle injury that ended his previous outing after 2 2/3 frames, although a pair of sixth-inning wild pitches led to his demise against the Mariners. Ventura worked 6 1/3 scoreless innings in his head-to-head battle with Fulmer on June 17 to improve to 6-0 with a 3.27 ERA against Detroit.
Fulmer concluded a brilliant first half of the season with his seventh victory in his last nine turns at Cleveland on July 6, holding the Indians to two runs (one earned) on five hits in six frames despite striking out a season-low two. The 23-year-old rookie has not allowed more than one earned run over that span and is one of only 11 major-league pitchers since 1913 to boast such a streak. Fulmer has kept the opposition off the scoreboard five times during the streak as well, going 7-1 with a 0.63 ERA.
WALK-OFFS
1. Detroit 2B Ian Kinsler is 4-for-8 with two homers, three RBIs and four runs scored over the first two games of the series.
2. Kansas City RHP Wade Davis worked a perfect inning of relief in a non-save situation in his return from the disabled list Saturday.
3. Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera, who hasn't driven in a run over his last six games, remains two RBIs shy of becoming the 56th player in major-league history to reach 1,500.