Detroit Tigers vs. Red Sox: Previewing the Sunday Night ESPN game

Tomorrow, the Detroit Tigers face the Boston Red Sox on the national broadcast of ESPN Sunday Night Baseball.

Even though the Detroit Tigers Ace Justin Verlander faced the Red Sox Ace Chris Sale on Saturday night, the matchup between Daniel Norris and Drew Pomeranz should be a game worth watching.

This will be the Tigers’ second appearance on the Sunday night show. The last time they appeared on ESPN was against the Texas Rangers on May 21 with Matt Boyd on the mound; they lost the game 5-2 at Comerica Park. Hopefully, this time, the Tigers will put up a W on the national stage.

To get the national take on this game, I spoke with Tim Kurkjian, MLB Reporter and Analyst with ESPN to get his perspective on the team. He shared his thoughts regarding the Tigers’ chances for the playoffs, Miguel Cabrera at the plate, and Norris on the mound. Interestingly, the local view is quite close to the national view.

It’s no secret that the Tigers top players aren’t getting any younger. Kurkjian thinks the Tigers have a one-year window to get to the playoffs. But, he also said that the team needs Verlander to get going on the mound and Cabrera to get going at the plate. If Verlander and Cabrera can’t get it going, then the Tigers won’t get very far.

As Tigers fans, we get to watch Cabrera play every day. So, we don’t recognize how much of a treat it is for the national audience to see Cabrera at the plate. But, since Cabrera is “only” batting .263 with five home runs, will the national audience care about Cabrera on Sunday night? According to Kurkjian, the answer is yes. Kurkjian said, “I’ve never been able to take my eyes off of the plate when Cabrera is batting.”

With that national audience watching, hopefully, Cabrera will live up to what Kurkjian calls “one of the greatest right-handed hitters of all time” and deliver some runs. Kurkjian commented on Cabrera’s four strikeouts on Friday night and how “out of character” that was for the future Hall of Famer.

One thing that Tigers fans are well aware of is the Dave Dombrowski connection. According to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, the Tigers have a payroll of over $199 million and the Red Sox aren’t far behind with a payroll of more than $197 million. The big payroll has not brought the Tigers a World Series Championship. Could the payroll help the Red Sox get there? Kurkjian commented that the Red Sox are a team that is “young and dynamic” with a load of core players like Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi. He also commented that the Red Sox have a long time before they could get to the point where the Tigers are today, with their aging core and depleted minor league system.

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Norris gets the start on the national stage on Sunday against Pomeranz. Both left-handed pitchers have their spots securely in the middle of the rotation and they are both equally important to the team. Norris is currently working with an ERA of 4.48 in 60.1 innings and Pomeranz has an ERA of 4.02 in 56 innings. Both have 11 starts in 2017. Of course, the top pitchers like Verlander, Michael Fulmer, Sale, and Rick Porcello are expected to deliver, but the middle guys are needed, too. Kurkjian said, “Norris is an interesting guy” and he commented on how important it is for the team to win when he’s on the mound.

Next: Will Tigers Victor Martinez stay hot against Red Sox Chris Sale?

Catch Kurkjian and the rest of the ESPN MLB on-air staff calling the Tigers and Red Sox game live from Fenway Park at 8:00.