Detroit Tigers vs Kansas City Royals: Game Preview, TV/Radio, Lineup

Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Detroit Tigers(36-32) vs. Kansas City Royals(39-32) – 1:08pm EDT

Comerica Park – Detroit, MI

TV: Fox Sports Detroit

Radio: 97.1 The Ticket(click for radio affiliates)

Weather: 81 degrees, chance of rain

The Detroit Tigers look to a make-up game to avoid the dreaded home sweep by their divisional rival Kansas City Royals.

When We Last Met

After ceding first place to the Royals after Tuesday’s blow out of Max Scherzer, the Royals put the Detroit Tigers another game back on Wednesday afternoon. After holding the largest division lead in all of baseball, the Tigers are now struggling to avoid a four game sweep at home to the new AL Central leaders. What a difference a month makes, indeed.

Pitching Matchup

Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Tigers look to their most consistent and reliable starter, Anibal Sanchez (3-2, 2.44 ERA), to avoid the sweep and win the final game of this four game series. While Sanchez’s win-loss record doesn’t indicate it, he’s been dominant, not giving up more than three runs in any outing. Sanchez has a career record of 3-2 against the Royals with a 0.99 ERA.

Sanchez has yet to face the Royals this season, but his start couldn’t come at a better time for his floundering team. His command is sharp and his ability to add and subtract substantial speed off all of his pitches has been unrivaled by his fellow starters.

Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Royals send Danny Duffy (4-5, 2.83 ERA) to try to sweep the Tigers. Duffy faced the Tigers on May 3rd and came away with the loss, though he pitched well against Detroit, going four innings and giving up two hits, one run and four walks.

In his career against the Tigers, Duffy is 1-4 with a 3.89 ERA in 37 innings.

Tigers Lineup