Detroit Tigers: Previewing the Texas Rangers

After a tough series against the Royals, the Detroit Tigers are 14-19 heading into a three-game set against the 13-23 Texas Rangers.

Detroit Tigers’ fans have seen flashes of excellence this year, followed by heartbreaking losses from this Tigers team. While the plan is to rebuild, likely eliminating the idea of contention, this team has teased us with some surprise performances. They’ll have another chance against a poorly performing Rangers squad to push their record closer to .500, and possibly take over second place in the AL Central.

Here are the pitching matchups for the three game series against the Texas Rangers, starting Monday at 8:05 EST.

Monday, May 7 (8:05) Michael Fulmer vs. Matt Moore

Tuesday, May 8 (8:05) Mike Fiers vs. Mike Minor

Wednesday, May 9 (2:05) Francisco Liriano vs. Bartolo Colon

I haven’t fact checked this, but this might be the most starting pitchers named Mike or Michael in a three-game series all season. That’s the hard-hitting analysis you all come here for I’m sure.

In all seriousness, the Tigers have a big advantage in Monday’s outing. Michael Fulmer has looked extremely dialed in over his last few starts, and while Texas sports a solid offense he should be able to keep them in check. On the other hand, Matt Moore has looked horrendous. He is 0-3 with a 7.79 ERA on the year. Detroit has hit left-handers well this season, so expect a nice game on the offensive side of the ball on Monday. Pair that with Fulmer on the bump, and a win looks promising.

Tuesday’s matchup will be tougher, with a struggling Fiers (2-2, 5.00) facing a surging Minor (3-1, 4.36). Minor is also left-handed, so hopefully Detroit’s strong right-handed hitting can get to him.

Finally, we have an elite pitching matchup from 12 years ago, with Francisco Liriano taking on the ageless wonder in Bartolo Colon. Colon is still going strong, with a 1-1 record and a 3.29 ERA. Liriano is coming off an outstanding outing last week, and now sports a 3-1 record and a 2.97 ERA. This should, amazingly, be a solid pitching matchup. Whoever is able to squeak a run or two across the board early has a great chance in this one.

The Rangers offense

The Rangers as a team are slashing an ugly .233/.302/.396, a big part of why they are 10 games under .500. However, that doesn’t mean their offense should be taken lightly. Joey Gallo in particular is a player Detroit needs to be careful with. He’s hitting .223 with 45 strikeouts, but also has 12 home runs already. If Detroit can neutralize him in the middle of the order, that will help tremendously.

Two of Texas’ best hitters, Elvis Andrus and Adrian Beltre, are both on the shelf. Beltre could return this series (more on that later) but Andrus will be out for a few more weeks.

Elsewhere, Delino Deshields is hitting .308 and is in the midst of a 10-game hit streak. Shin-Soo Choo and Nomar Mazara are both solid left-handed hitters, although neither are playing up to their capabilities this season. Still, between them and Gallo, the Tigers will need to bring their best stuff against some tough left-handed hitters this series. Daniel Stumpf will likely see some action against this group, and will need to shake off the last few outings. He’ll be a big piece of this series.

What to watch out for

Can Grayson Greiner and John Hicks provide some spark?

With Miguel Cabrera hitting the DL, the Tigers opted to recall backup catcher Grayson Greiner. John Hicks slid over into everyday duty at first base, and Greiner will spell McCann periodically until Miggy is back. Greiner went 1-for-4 in his big league debut, and Hicks extended his five-game hit streak with a three-run home run on Sunday. He is now 9-for-23 in his last five games, and has raised his average up to .292. Can these two guys help spark the Tigers middling offense? Or at least hold their own until Cabrera is back? The pair of right-handed hitters will get to face a couple lefties in the next few days, so hopefully they can stay hot at the plate.

Who steps into the long reliever role?

This is not a new question for us, but one that has yet to be answered. Chad Bell got his chance, but he is back in Triple-A. Blaine Hardy finally has his chance, but gave up a run in his first appearance of the year. Johnny Barbato is up as well, but he has not looked good either. Is anyone going to step up and fill this role? Hopefully Detroit’s starters can go deep into the next few games while the Tigers try to sort out the middle inning guys.

Miguel Cabrera and Adrian Beltre

It’s a bummer that the two surefire Hall of Famers on each team will be on the DL for this series. It may not be all that well-known, but Beltre and Cabrera have been neck-and-neck in the home run race for years. Currently, Miggy has a slight edge, with 465 career home runs compared to Beltre’s 463. Beltre has him in hits (3,075 to 2,666) but Miggy has him almost everywhere else. While their careers seem very different from the outside, they have actually been fairly similar offensively. Miggy has the no doubt advantage (151 OPS+ to 117) but it would have been fun to see these two legends on the field together down in Arlington. Perhaps Beltre will return before the series is up.

Next: Is Jose Iglesias a fit for the Dodgers?

Expect the Detroit Tigers to put up some runs in this series against a below average Rangers staff. They’ll need to neutralize Texas’ left-handed hitters. If they can do that, it could help boost them in the AL Central standings.