Tigers at White Sox
The Detroit Tigers are struggling to string together wins but put themselves in position to earn a split of a four-game series at the Chicago White Sox by taking the nightcap of a doubleheader on Saturday. The Tigers will try to earn back-to-back wins and improve to 3-5 on their 11-game road trip when they visit the White Sox in the finale on Sunday.
The Tigers scored two or fewer runs in five of the last seven games but finally did just enough with the bats to squeeze out a 4-3 triumph in Saturday's nightcap after getting blanked 3-0 in the opener. Detroit is struggling to hit with runners in scoring position and went just 1-for-13 in such situations in the win but struck for a pair of solo home runs and lucked out when Justin Upton reached on a strikeout-wild pitch that allowed Nicholas Castellanos to score in the seventh. The Tigers will try to do better with the bats on Sunday against struggling White Sox righty Miguel Gonzalez while Jordan Zimmermann goes for the win for the Tigers. Chicago is looking for a series win to kick off a seven-game homestand that includes a visit from the Boston Red Sox beginning on Monday.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, WGN (Chicago)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Jordan Zimmermann (4-3, 5.86 ERA) vs. White Sox RH Miguel Gonzalez (3-5, 4.55)
Zimmermann is 1-2 in his last four starts and allowed four runs in each, though only two were earned Tuesday inHouston. The Wisconsin native is having some trouble keeping the ball in the park and has surrendered 12 homers in 34 innings over his last six outings. Zimmermann yielded one homer among three runs and seven hits in five innings against Chicago on April 30 and earned the win.
Gonzalez absorbed the loss in each of his last five starts and owns a 6.99 ERA and a .336 batting average allowed in that span. The Mexico native, who turned 33 on Saturday, managed to last at least five innings in each of those five starts and reigned in his control to walk just one at Arizona on Monday after yielding nine free passes in his previous two turns. Gonzalez went up against Zimmermann on April 30 and took the loss while surrendering seven runs - six earned - and 14 hits in six innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Tigers placed 2B Ian Kinsler (hamstring) on the 10-day disabled list Saturday.
2. Chicago signed 19-year-old Cuban CF Luis Robert to a minor-league contract with a $26 million signing bonus on Saturday.
3. Detroit 1B Miguel Cabrera played both ends of the doubleheader on Saturday after sitting out Friday and went 0-for-8 with a pair of strikeouts.