Orioles at Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are suffering through growing pains and a relentless Mother Nature that is retarding their potential progress as they host the equally struggling Baltimore Orioles for a three-game series beginning Tuesday. Detroit (4-9), which has been shut out three times and held to one run on three other occasions, has already lost five dates because of postponement and hasn't played since Friday.
“You are always trying to win ballgames, but you know you have to let things play out,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire told reporters about allowing his young players to find their way. “Right now, we’re just making sure everyone gets a piece of this thing and get their feet on the ground a little bit.” Examples of Detroit youth struggling include second baseman Dixon Machado (.234 this season) and third baseman Jeimer Candelario (.200), who have a combined 173 career games under their belts. Baltimore (5-11) endured its first postponement of the season when Monday's game at Boston was called Sunday after it lost three straight to the Red Sox by a combined 20-7, leaving its starters with a 5.33 ERA. The Orioles' Andrew Cashner, though, has recorded two quality starts since a rough debut with the club and opposes Francisco Liriano, who took a no-hitter into the fifth inning in his last outing.
TV: 6:40 p.m. ET, MASN 2 (Baltimore), FS Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Andrew Cashner (1-1, 2.50 ERA) vs. Tigers LH Francisco Liriano (1-1, 2.13)
Cashner received a no-decision after allowing four hits and three walks while striking out six over seven shutout innings of Baltimore's 2-1 loss to Toronto on April 10. "I kind of feel like this has been my whole career," the 31-year-old Texan told reporters about run support. "... It's one of those things when you know every pitch means something. I'm not saying it doesn't sometimes, but for me, it's more that you're more invested in every pitch just because you know it's going to be a tight game all night." Cashner pitched a one-hitter, walking two and striking out 11 in his only start against Detroit, a 6-0 victory for the Padres in San Diego on April 11, 2014.
Liriano was the hard-luck loser in a 2-0 setback at Cleveland on April 9 when he yielded a two-run homer to Bradley Zimmer in the fifth inning among three hits, walked three and struck out four in six innings. The 34-year-old Dominican has settled back into his starter's role after appearing in relief in all 25 games - postseason included - while winning the World Series with Houston after the trade deadline last season. Adam Jones is 8-for-24 with three home runs versus Liriano, who is 2-5 with a 4.14 ERA in 10 starts versus Baltimore.
WALK-OFFS
1. Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera is third among active players in RBIs (1,622), trailing Albert Pujols and Adrian Beltre, and fourth in hits (2,648) behind Ichiro Suzuki, Beltre and Pujols.
2. Orioles SS Manny Machado has three home runs and nine RBIs - all in the last nine games - and is 14-for-38 during that span after starting the season 6-for-27.
3. Detroit C James McCann (.189) ended an 0-for-15 drought by going 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs in Friday's 8-6 loss to the New York Yankees.