Detroit Tigers vs Kansas City Royals Game 31, Preview, TV, Lineup

Detroit Tigers (19-11) vs Kansas City Royals (18-11) – 1:08 PM ET

Comerica Park – Detroit, MI

TV: Fox Sports 1

Radio: 97.1 The Ticket (click for affiliates)

Weather: 75 degrees, chance of thunderstorms

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Game Preview

The Tigers announced prior to today’s game that Alex Avila has been placed on the 15-day disabled list due to the knee injury that caused him to be a late scratch. Detroit called last year’s backup catcher Bryan Holaday from AAA-Toledo.

The Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals will play on Saturday national television, their first of two nationally televised ballgames in as many days. They play tomorrow night in a rare Detroit appearance on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball and an even more rare Kansas City appearance and that’s probably because the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are not playing this weekend.

When We Last Met

The Tigers earned a walk-off victory in a thrilling way on Friday, giving them their third straight victory over the Royals. Detroit jumped off to a 4-0 lead off Yordano Ventura in the second inning, but a shaky David Price gave it right back in the fourth inning. He left the game after slipping over a bat with a 5-4 deficit and the highly thought-of Royals bullpen took over but coughed up the lead and ultimately the game.

With the win, the Tigers reclaimed first place by a half game.

Pitching Matchup

After a rough start to his season, Anibal Sanchez (2-3, 5.11) has started to bounce back. While he’s probably giving up more runs than he’d like to (three ER in each of the last two starts), Sanchez has curbed his nemesis from early this season: the home run ball. Throughout his first three starts he allowed five. In the five starts since, he has kept the ball in the park.

Anibal pitched better than his numbers showed last week in Kansas City, his most recent start. He set KC batters down in order until the fifth innings, and was tagged for three runs over the seventh and eighth inning. He struck out four and walked only one.

His opponent in that game, Jeremy Guthrie (1-2, 6.52) did not fare so well and the Tigers hope to continue their hitting ways against the Royals’ starter on Saturday. He took the loss in the 6-4 Detroit win last Sunday and was responsible for all the runs on 11 hits.

It’s been a rough go for Guthrie who has not allowed less than three runs in any start this year, and has allowed 13 in his last three starts spanning 16 innings.

Tigers Lineup

1. Anthony Gose
2. Ian Kinsler-2B
3. Miguel Cabrera-1B
4. Victor Martinez-DH
5. Yoenis Cespedes-LF
6. J.D. Martinez-RF
7. Nick Castellanos-3B
8. James McCann-C
9. Andrew Romine

Injuries

• Jose Iglesias — Day-to-Day
• David Price — Day-to-Day
• Alex Avila — 15-Day DL
• Bruce Rondon — 15-day DL
• Justin Verlander — 15-day DL
• Joe Nathan – Out for the Season

Next: Tigers starting pitching woes