Red Sox at Tigers
Two teams heavily impacted by bad weather in the early going meeting Friday in Detroit, where the Tigers open their home schedule with the first of four games against the Boston Red Sox. Detroit was rained out twice in a season-opening series at the Chicago White Sox, which resulted in a two-game split after its 11-2 loss Thursday afternoon.
The Tigers managed just four hits in the contest and slugging first baseman Miguel Cabrera had his second straight 0-for-3 effort to begin the campaign. The Red Sox were rained out Thursday at home against Pittsburgh, prompting a rotation reset amid a flurry of transactions. Eduardo Rodriguez, who was scheduled to start against the Pirates, will go Saturday in Detroit, keeping knuckleballer Steven Wright in line to make his season debut Friday. Boston also placed both shortstop Xander Bogaerts and reliever Matt Barnes on the bereavement list and put reliever Robbie Ross Jr. on the disabled list with a flu bug that kept right fielder Mookie Betts out of the lineup in Wednesday's 3-0 win over Pittsburgh.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, NESN (Boston), FSN Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Steven Wright (2016: 13-6, 3.33 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Michael Fulmer (2016: 11-7, 3.06)
Wright was an All-Star last year in a breakout campaign that ended early due to a shoulder ailment stemming from a dive back to the bag as a pinch runner in August. His worst start of the year came at home against Detroit on July 26, when he gave up eight runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings. The 32-year-old boasted a sparkling 2.09 ERA away from home in 2016 and allowed just one run in 13 1/3 innings during Grapefruit League play.
Fulmer, the reigning American League Rookie of the Year, also finished 10th in Cy Young Award voting despite a slow start in which he had a 6.52 ERA through the first four starts. He allowed three runs in 7 2/3 frames at Boston on July 27 before tying season highs by giving up six runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings in a rematch at Comerica Park nearly a month later. Bogaerts, Dustin Pedroia and Jackie Bradley Jr. each homered off Fulmer last year while Sandy Leon went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles.
WALK-OFFS
1. Betts is expected to be a game-time decision, manager John Farrell told reporters Thursday.
2. Tigers 2B Ian Kinsler hit .309 at home in 2016, compared to .267 on the road.
3. Boston recalled IFs Marco Hernandez and Deven Marrero along with RHP Noe Ramirez to fill the open spots on the roster.