Tigers at Red Sox
Two of their key players are already on the disabled list and the Boston Red Sox hope a third will avoid it when they host the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night for the opener of a three-game series. J.D. Martinez, who leads the major leagues with 50 RBIs and is tied for the league lead with 19 homers, left Sunday’s 9-3 victory at Houston with back spasms, but Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters the slugger is expected to be ready for Tuesday.
Boston’s Mookie Betts, who leads the majors with a .359 batting average, is on the DL with an abdominal strain, while veteran All-Star second baseman Dustin Pedroia (knee) has hardly played this year and went back on the list recently. The Red Sox have still won seven of their last 10 after splitting a four-game set at Houston by winning the last two games and will send veteran Steven Wright to the mound Tuesday against fellow right-hander Artie Lewicki. The Tigers split a doubleheader against the New York Yankees on Monday, taking the nightcap 4-2, and have won nine of the last 13 overall to close within 2 1/2 games of first place in the American League Central. Nicholas Castellanos was held without a hit in four at-bats during the second game but boasts multiple hits in five of the last seven games (13-for-30) for Detroit, while Miguel Cabrera has hit safely in all five games since his return from the DL on Friday and six straight overall.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, NESN (Boston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Artie Lewicki (0-0, 3.60 ERA) vs. Red Sox RH Steven Wright (1-0, 2.25)
Lewicki makes his first start of 2018 after allowing six earned runs in 15 innings across six appearances out of the bullpen this season. The 26-year-old Virginia product has given up one earned run over seven innings in his past three outings and has yet to allow a homer among 18 hits in the majors this year. Lewicki, who faces Boston for the first time in his career, gave up five runs over five innings in his lone major league start last season against Kansas City.
Wright makes his first start of 2018 and the 41st of his career after permitting four hits over nine scoreless innings out of the bullpen in his last four appearances. The 33-year-old knuckleball specialist went 1-3 in five starts during 2017 and was 13-6 one year earlier across 24 starts with a 3.33 ERA. Miguel Cabrera and James McCann have each homered against Wright, who is 0-1 with an 8.04 ERA in three career starts versus the Tigers.
WALK-OFFS
1. Detroit has recorded at least one double in 52 straight games, the third-longest such streak since 1908.
2. Boston LF Andrew Benintendi is 15-for-36 with four homers and 11 RBIs over his last nine contests.
3. The Tigers won four of the seven meetings last year, but the Red Sox won two of the three played in Boston.