Detroit Tigers: Previewing the Rest of the April Schedule

Detroit Tigers players will look to rebound with a win on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays. Here’s what the Tigers’ schedule looks like for the rest of April.

Detroit Tigers fans will see the team play three more series following the current three-game set in Tampa Bay.

Luckily for local fans, two of those three series will come at home as the Tigers host the Seattle Mariners and Chicago White Sox.

Detroit will be looking to continue the team’s winning ways.

Despite Wednesday’s loss, Detroit sits alone atop the American League Central with an 8-6 record.

It has certainly been an encouraging start for the Tigers, who have benefited from some excellent starting pitching and timely hitting.

If Miguel Cabrera and company want to keep winning, the team will need to navigate a tricky portion of the schedule to close out April.

Here’s a preview of what’s to come.

Minnesota Twins
Record: 7-7
Dates: April 21 through April 23
Ballpark: Target Field

Following Thursday’s series-finale against Tampa Bay, Miguel Cabrera and company hit the road to take on the Minnesota Twins.

Minnesota came out of the gates firing on all cylinders, with a series sweep of the Kansas City Royals, and a pair of victories in Chicago.

Following those six games, the Twins had a +17 run differential.

The team took that +17 run differential to Detroit and promptly dropped two of three in the Motor City.

Since that series, the Twins have hosted the White Sox and Cleveland. All told, they’ve won just one game and lost four, including an 11-4 drubbing on Tuesday.

For Your Reading Pleasure: Observations from Wednesday's Game

Seattle Mariners
Record: 7-9
Dates: April 25-27
Ballpark: Comerica Park

You know all about Robinson Cano, Kyle Seager and Nelson Cruz, but Mitch Haniger is doing some serious damage so far for the M’s.

Entering Wednesday, the former Diamondbacks farmhand was leading all Seattle position players with a 0.9 WAR. What’s more, he also paces the team with 12 runs scored, 11 RBI and four home runs.

Haniger is one of a number of new faces on Seattle’s roster.

Jerry Dipoto was active again in the offseason, bringing in Haniger, Jarrod Dyson, Taylor Motter, Jean Segura, Danny Valencia, Marc Rzepczynski and Carlos Ruiz among others.

Former Detroit Tigers pitcher Drew Smyly is also on Seattle staff, however he’s currently on the disabled list.

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Chicago White Sox
Record: 7-7
Dates: April 28-30
Ballpark: Comerica Park

Entering the Tampa Bay series, the two-game set in Chicago to open the season was the only series where the Tigers hadn’t come away victorious.

While Detroit has played well since the opening series, the White Sox have been somewhat of a mixed bag.

Chicago lost two of three to the Twins before grabbing two of three against Cleveland.

The Sox then earned another series win, this one coming against Minnesota, before dropping two of three games in the Bronx against the Yankees.

Detroit will need to be cautious of Avisail Garcia. The former Tigers prospect is batting .440 with a 1.161 OPS, 13 RBI, nine runs scored, three home runs, a double and a triple.

However if the Tigers can work around him there’s reason to believe they can find success.

Garcia and Matt Davidson are the only current Chicago starters with more than five RBI.

Next: Prospects Thriving for Tigers Minor League Teams Early in 2017

Additionally, of White Sox players with at least 20 plate appearances, six have an on-base percentage under .250.