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Detroit Tigers vs Toronto Blue Jays Independence Day Preview

By Matt Pelc

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Detroit Tigers (40-39) at Toronto Blue Jays (42-40) — 1:08 PM ET

Comerica Park — Detroit, MI

TV: FSD

Radio: 97.1 The Ticket (click for affiliates)

Weather:  75 degrees, sunny

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Game Preview

For the first time in his career, Miguel Cabrera will be placed on the disabled list. It is a Grade 3 calf strain which puts him out for likely six weeks. The Tigers will look to pick up the pieces and move forward today as they look to take the second game of their holiday weekend series with the Toronto Blue Jays and clinch a winning series on Independence Day.

David Price goes for the Tigers today. The team is 13-3 in starts from their ace this season.

When We Last Met

Brad Ausmus shook up the lineup on Friday and it paid dividends–well partly paid dividends and partly benefited from three Toronto errors. Anibal Sanchez was extremely sharp, taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning, but allowed a hit after one was out. After he loaded the bases he departed and Alex Wilson came in and surrendered a double that wiped out Sanchez’s quality start. Just another oddity that has been par for the course for the Tigers this year. They ended up allowing six runs in the eighth but had eight runs of their own to have the score stand up and claim a victory.

Pitching Matchup

David Price (7-2, 2.62) had an uncharacteristically poor game in his last outing, allowing four runs to the Chicago White Sox and departing on strange circumstances. When Ausmus wanted him to go back in the game he was out of uniform and could not be reinserted. It all worked out, with Detroit coming back with five runs over the eighth and ninth inning, but the “miscommunication” remains an odd and troubling event.

Price faced the Blue Jays once in a Tigers uniform last year, taking the loss after allowing four runs on August 10, his second start with the team. He has been exceptionally sharp against Toronto in his career playing against them in the AL East with Tampa Bay, going 15-2 with a 2.47 ERA in 20 starts.

R.A. Dickey (3-8, 4.85) has experienced a rough go of it this season and is looking to avoid his third consecutive loss. He was fairly effective in his last two starts, allowing three runs apiece, but the Toronto bats were uncharacteristically silent in both games. The former NL Cy Young winner with the New York Mets beat the Tigers last year in Detroit, allowing two earned runs in six innings on June 4. He received a no-decision on Aug. 8 in Toronto when Detroit won the lone game of the season series 5-4. He is 6-2 with a 3.78 ERA in 17 career games against the Tigers.

Detroit Tigers Lineup

  1. Ian Kinsler-2B
  2. Yoenis Cespedes-LF
  3. Victor Martinez-DH
  4. J.D. Martinez-RF
  5. Alex Avila-1B
  6. Nick Castellanos-3B
  7. James McCann-C
  8. Josh Wilson-SS
  9. Anthony Gose-CF

Injuries

Next: Miggy to DL

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