Tigers at Yankees
The Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees will approach Monday's non-waiver trade deadline from very different directions just ahead of their opener of a three-game series at Yankee Stadium. The Tigers have won two straight but they are nine games under .500 and potentially looking to sell off some pieces, while the Yankees have already made two significant trades and remain in the mix for Oakland Athletics right-hander Sonny Gray.
New York had won six in a row before dropping the finale of a four-game set with Tampa Bay by a 5-3 margin Sunday. Ronald Torreyes drove in all three runs for the Yankees as the top seven hitters in the lineup went a combined 2-for-25 - including an 0-for-4 effort by All-Star Aaron Judge, who is hitting .158 since the All-Star break and fouled out with two on in the bottom of the ninth Sunday. Detroit had no such issues getting production up and down the lineup in a 13-1 rout of the Houston Astros on Sunday, as Justin Upton homered and drove in six runs to pace a 15-hit attack. The series opener presents an intriguing matchup of young standouts on the mound, with Detroit's Michael Fulmer - himself a central figure in trade rumors last week - opposite New York's Luis Severino.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, YES (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Michael Fulmer (10-8, 3.35 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Luis Severino (7-4, 3.03)
Fulmer rebounded from his shortest start of the year, a rocky 2 2/3-inning outing at Kansas City, to toss eight solid frames against the very same Royals his last time out. It was the fourth time in a span of six starts in which he finished at least eight innings, and the 24-year-old has 24 strikeouts against four walks in that span. He tossed six scoreless innings at Yankee Stadium last year in his only previous matchup with New York.
As the Yankees look to fortify their rotation from the outside, Severino continues to provide ace-like performances while going 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA over his last four starts. The 23-year-old has thrown an average of 107 pitches in that stretch while finishing exactly seven innings each time. He dropped his only start against the Tigers last year, allowing three runs and 10 hits in five innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. New York DH Matt Holliday made the last out Sunday and is batting .136 since returning from the disabled list earlier this month.
2. Tigers C James McCann had three hits Sunday and is batting .452 during a nine-game hitting streak.
3. The Yankees acquired LHP Jaime Garcia on Sunday in exchange for two minor leaguers.