Astros at Tigers
Justin Verlander's name has been bandied about leading up to Monday's trade deadline, but the veteran right-hander is scheduled to take the mound Sunday in the finale of a three-game series versus the visiting Houston Astros. Verlander is trying to avoid a winless July against a team that rocked him for six runs over 5 2/3 innings in late May.
With a number of pitchers expected to change destinations in the next two days, Verlander may wind up staying put due to a contract that will pay him $28 million in each of the next two seasons. Detroit erased a three-run deficit and snapped a four-game skid with Saturday's 5-3 victory as shortstop Jose Iglesias collected a pair of doubles and two RBIs. Houston, which is running away with the best record in the American League, is 5-3 entering the final stop of its nine-game road trip. Evan Gattis swatted his fourth homer and recorded his fourth multiple-hit game in the last nine for the Astros, who will send Lance McCullers Jr. to the mound to face Verlander.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston), FSN Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Lance McCullers Jr. (7-2, 3.67 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Justin Verlander (5-7, 4.50)
McCullers won his first start upon coming off the disabled list with five innings of one-run ball at Seattle, but he is winless in four subsequent outings while yielding a combined 20 runs - all Houston losses. He has failed to get through five innings in each of his last three turns, but blanked Detroit on one hit over five innings on May 23. He has allowed only two homers in 10 starts away from home.
Verlander is coming off a pair of seven-inning no-decisions and has permitted a combined eight earned runs in his last four outings - three of them quality starts. The 34-year-old posted double-digit victories in 10 of the last 11 seasons, a mark in jeopardy due to his latest drought. He has never lost to Houston in eight career starts (4-0, 2.83 ERA) but has been tormented by Jose Altuve, who is 7-for-13 against him.
WALK-OFFS
1. Iglesias is on a tear with multiple hits in half of the past 14 games.
2. Altuve, who leads the majors with a .365 batting average, had his 19-game hitting streak snapped Saturday.
3. Tigers closer Justin Wilson earned his 13th save Saturday among growing speculation he will be traded by Monday.