White Sox at Tigers
The Detroit Tigers have put together consecutive wins for the first time in over two weeks and will try to make it three in a row when they continue a three-game series with the visiting Chicago White Sox on Saturday. After taking the finale of a set in Kansas City on Wednesday, the Tigers erupted for 18 hits - including a season-high seven doubles - in a 15-5 rout of the White Sox on Friday.
Miguel Cabrera had two of those doubles as he became the 39th player in history to record 1,000 career extra-base hits. Jose Iglesias added three hits and four runs scored for Detroit and the slick-fielding shortstop has four multi-hit games over his last nine to raise his average from .195 to .242. Chicago opened a nine-game road trip with Friday's defeat and it has lost 11 of its last 14 away from home. It will try to keep pace with the Tigers behind starter Miguel Gonzalez, who opposes Jordan Zimmermann in a matchup of veteran right-handers.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, CSN Chicago, FSN Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox RH Miguel Gonzalez (4-5, 4.43 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Jordan Zimmermann (4-4, 6.47)
Gonzalez put forth his longest start in over a month with 7 2/3 innings in a win over the Tigers at home on Memorial Day, letting up three runs and six hits while tying a season-high with six strikeouts and walking zero batters for the first time this year. It was a far cry from Gonzalez's first start against Detroit on April 30, which resulted in him giving up seven runs (six earned) on 14 hits in six frames. The 33-year-old has a 7.02 ERA in 11 career encounters (nine starts) with the Tigers and has been hit hard by Cabrera (8-for-19, one home run).
Zimmermann's rocky campaign continued in a loss at Chicago on Sunday, when he gave up a season-high seven runs on eight hits over five innings. He has allowed at least four runs in eight of 10 outings and has served up 15 home runs over his last seven starts. Four of those long balls have come during two starts versus the White Sox and the Wisconsin native has a 5.63 ERA in seven career matchups with them.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cabrera needs one home run to tie Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski (452) for 37th on the all-time list.
2. White Sox CF Leury Garcia is 7-for-17 with four RBIs during a four-game hitting streak.
3. Tigers RF J.D. Martinez had been 0-for-10 with four strikeouts against the White Sox this year before going 3-for-5 with a homer and a triple Friday night.