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Detroit Tigers at Toronto Blue Jays Game 128 Preview, TV, Lineup

By Matt Pelc

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Detroit Tigers (60-67) at Toronto Blue Jays (71-56) — 7:07 PM ET

Rogers Centre — Toronto, Canada

TV: FSD

Radio: 97.1 The Ticket (click for affiliates)

Weather: 72 degrees, partly cloudy

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Series Preview

On paper, this series looks like a mismatch–just like when the Detroit Tigers faced the Chicago Cubs to surprising results 10 days ago. But while the Cubs are red-hot, the Toronto Blue Jays are on a different planet, going 18-5 in the month of August to come from the middle of the AL East pack and sub.-500 to up by multiple games in the division.

The Blue Jays have the longest playoff doubt in major league sports. They have not gone to the postseason since winning the AL East and winning the second of two straight World Series titles in 1993.

Since trading David Price to these Blue Jays, the Tigers have not fared particularly well–to put it mildly–and are clearly playing out the string.

The Tigers’ pitchers need to do well, otherwise this will be a long series with potent Blue Jays’ batters teeing off on the awful bullpen.

When We Last Met

It looks like the Tigers will miss Price on this visit to Toronto. He pitched against his future teammates during these teams early matchup at Comerica Park on July 4. The Tigers won that series but lost the series finale.

Pitching Matchup

You will pardon Blue Jays’ fans if they don’t remember their dark days–as in pre-July 31. So it may not register the needle that they will be facing former pitcher Matt Boyd (1-2, 4.88). He did not fare very well in a Blue Jays’ uniform this season, but has pitched much better with the Tigers, even picking up his first big league win in his first outing for Detroit, August 5. He allowed three runs on five hits in six innings of a 4-2 loss to the Texas Rangers on August 23.

R.A. Dickey (8-10, 4.26) was rocked in his earlier appearance against Detroit, allowing five runs on 11 hits in 5.2 innings. He has done well since then–largely because of the monstrous run support he’s been receiving, going 5-1 in nine starts. Case in point when he once again allowed five runs on 11 hits in his last game, but Blue Jays’ batters put up 12 runs on Sunday against the Angels.

Detroit Tigers Lineup

  1. Rajai Davis-LF
  2. Ian Kinsler-2B
  3. Miguel Cabrera-1B
  4. Victor Martinez-DH
  5. J.D. Martinez-RF
  6. Nick Castellanos-3B
  7. James McCann
  8. Jose Iglesias
  9. Anthony Gose

Injuries

Next: Five Tigers managerial candidates for 2016

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