Detroit Tigers at Tampa Bay Rays — 12:35 PM ET
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Tropicana Field — St. Petersburg, FL
TV: FSD
Radio: WXYT (Click for Affiliates)
Live Stats:MLB Gameday
Weather: DOME
Game Preview
Six weeks ago, the Detroit Tigers headed to Spring Training and either time has flown past or dragged on, but for the players it has been an eternity. They will suffer through one more game in Florida against the Tampa Bay Rays in their regular season home of Tropicana Field before flying home to prepare for Opening Day festivities at Comerica Park on Monday.
When We Last Met
The Tigers and Rays tangled for the first time yesterday in the final game at Joker Marchant Stadium for the spring as Anibal Sanchez and Al Alburquerque were hit hard, combining to surrender 11 runs in the 11-5 loss to drop Detroit’s Spring Training record to 11-20 with three ties.
The teams will renew rivalries after this game in late July with three games back in Tropicana Field and meet in early September at Comerica Park.
For the first time in several years Detroit did not dominate Tampa Bay in the season series last year, in fact they lost the series by dropping three of the seven games played. The Tigers did take two of three from the Rays in Tropicana Field in August but lost three straight in a four-game series over 4th of July weekend, including a game to now Detroit Opening Day starter David Price.
The Rays lost Price and longtime manager Joe Maddon as the team dropped below .500 for the first time since 2007.
Detroit Tigers Lineup
Alfredo Simon will get his final tuneup after a tough Spring Training in which he posted a 5.56 ERA. He did throw into the sixth inning in his last start on Tuesday, allowing only one run.
Don’t expect to see the regulars in the lineup going deep into the game, as they are usually pulled after an at-bat or two in the final exhibition game. Nonetheless, this looks a lot like the lineup Detroit will be sporting on Monday: