Tigers at Rangers
Adrian Beltre returned to the lineup in style but couldn't prevent the Texas Rangers from losing for the seventh time in 10 games. Beltre looks to help Texas win the deciding contest of its three-game series against the visiting Detroit Tigers on Wednesday afternoon.
Beltre went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs to tie Tony Perez for 30th place on the all-time RBI list with 1,652 after missing 12 games with a hamstring injury. The 39-year-old third baseman has recorded nine multi-hit performances in just 25 games and is batting a stellar .330. Detroit is 2-4 on its seven-game road trip after Jeimer Candelario, Victor Martinez and Jose Iglesias all homered during Tuesday's 7-4 victory. Candelario and Dixon Machado each recorded two hits as the Tigers halted a five-game slide against Texas to win for just the fifth time in the last 20 meetings between the teams.
TV: 2:05 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, FS Southwest (Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers LH Francisco Liriano (3-1, 2.97 ERA) vs. Rangers RH Bartolo Colon (1-1, 3.29)
Liriano settled for a no-decision against Kansas City in his last turn despite allowing just one run and three hits over a season-high seven innings. The 34-year-old has allowed three runs or fewer in all six of his starts and is holding opponents to a .187 batting average. Liriano is 5-3 with a 4.03 ERA in 14 career appearances (nine starts) against the Rangers and has limited Nomar Mazara to one hit in six at-bats, although the hit was a home run.
Colon suffered his first setback of the season in his last turn as he served up four solo homers among five overall hits in seven innings against Boston. The 44-year-old has posted a stellar 0.83 WHIP and is holding opposing batters to a .212 average but has allowed seven blasts over his last three outings and eight overall. Colon is 9-10 with a 5.25 ERA in 28 career appearances (27 starts) against the Tigers but produced a strong start on Oct. 1, when he gave up one run and three hits over 6 1/3 innings in a victory while with Minnesota.
WALK-OFFS
1. Tigers CF Leonys Martin (knee) is slated to undergo an MRI exam after missing Tuesday's game following a stretch of three straight two-hit efforts.
2. The Rangers optioned INF Eliezer Alvarez to Double-A Frisco to open the roster spot for Beltre.
3. Detroit RHP Jordan Zimmermann (shoulder) received a cortisone shot and hopes to be activated to start on May 16.