Detroit Tigers: Tigers prepare to battle Royals in KC & Omaha

After dropping two of three games to the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park, the Detroit Tigers now look to take on another American League Central Division foe in the Kansas City Royals.

To put a bit of a unique twist on this Detroit Tigers series, the teams will play two games at Kauffman Stadium, the home of the Royals, and the final game at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska, home of the College World Series.

The Tigers have had great success against Kansas City during 2019, winning five of six games heading into Tuesday’s contest. The game will also present a bounce-back opportunity for Detroit, as the team fell by an embarrassing score of 12-2 to the Twins on Sunday.

The Royals are sitting at a lowly 20-45, sitting in last place in the division. The Detroit Tigers currently sit just one spot ahead of them at 24-38. This is no surprise for either club, though, as each carried low expectations as rebuilding teams headed into the season.

One bright spot for the Royals so far has been 23-year-old shortstop Adalberto Mondesi, who’s hitting .273 with six home runs and 43 RBI in the middle of the order. His breakout has offered optimism for rebuilding efforts in Kansas City.

The Tigers are fortunate they will not see slugging corner infielder Hunter Dozier in this series, as he’s currently on the injured list with a chest injury. Dozier is hitting .314 with 11 home runs and has broken out similar to Mondesi.

Designated hitter and former Chicago Cub Jorge Soler also provide punch in the middle of the Royals order with 17 home runs and 44 RBI. Known Tiger killer Whit Merrifield will also be active in the series, he’s hitting .294 with eight stolen bases.

Kansas City leads the major leagues in stolen bases with 60, and will most definitely look to get the offense going on the base paths against the Tigers. Mondesi leads the way with 24 swipes while speedster Billy Hamilton has added 12.

The Tigers will face Jakob Junis, Danny Duffy, and Homer Bailey in the series. The best of the three starters is the left-hander Duffy, who owns a 4.68 ERA in eight starts during the 2019 season. Meanwhile, Spencer Turnbull takes the mound for your Detroit Tigers against Junis in Tuesday’s series opener.

How do you think the Tigers will fare in Kansas City? Feel free to express your thoughts in the comment section below.