Diamondbacks at Tigers
The Arizona Diamondbacks are thoroughly enjoying interleague action this year and they will aim for their sixth consecutive win over an American League team when they finish a two-game set at the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday. A solo homer by David Peralta in the top of the ninth inning lifted the Diamondbacks to a 7-6 win Tuesday night and left them with an 8-1 mark in interleague play, which comes a year after they were 5-15 in such affairs.
Slugger Paul Goldschmidt also homered in the win and is 6-for-10 with two home runs, two doubles and six RBIs over his last two games. The Tigers have lost four of their last five following a 5-1 surge and they needed their bullpen to burn through 6 2/3 innings after starter Buck Farmer was knocked around in the opener. Diamondbacks right-hander Taijuan Walker will make the start after coming off the 10-day disabled list due to a blister. Jordan Zimmermann will try to continue his turnaround in June when he gets the nod for the Tigers.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona, FSN Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Taijuan Walker (4-3, 3.46 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Jordan Zimmermann (5-4, 5.72)
Walker was on a bit of a roll before the blister became an issue, posting a 2.67 ERA over a five-start stretch, including six scoreless frames in his most recent outing at San Diego on May 19. The former first-round pick has a 2.39 mark in five road starts, although he has had to work around 13 walks in 26 1/3 innings. Walker has been reached for 10 earned runs in 10 1/3 innings in two career starts versus Detroit.
Zimmermann finished May with an unsightly 6.47 ERA and had given up 15 homers over a span of seven starts, but he's mostly kept the ball in the park this month and has back-to-back quality starts to show for it. He yielded two runs in six innings of a no-decision at Boston on Friday, striking out three and walking three. The 31-year-old Wisconsin native is 2-2 with a 3.66 ERA lifetime versus Arizona.
WALK-OFFS
1. Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera had one RBI on Tuesday to move within one of Detroit legend Al Kaline (1,583) for 41st place on the all-time list, and two behind Harmon Killebrew.
2. The Diamondbacks are 12-6 in one-run games.
3. Arizona 2B Brandon Drury had four hits Tuesday and is 15-for-28 in interleague play.