Series preview: The Detroit Tigers host the Baltimore Orioles

After dropping a series to the best team in the MLB, the Detroit Tigers host the second-worst team in the league, the Baltimore Orioles.

The Detroit Tigers just finished a doubleheader with the best team in the entire MLB yesterday and will now play host to the second-worst team, the Baltimore Orioles, for a four-game series. Baltimore has been historically bad over the last few years, and finished with the worst record in the MLB last year, while this year they are only ahead of the Tigers.

While this series will have absolutely no impact on the 2019 postseason, it will have an impact on who gets the first overall pick in the 2020 draft. Detroit currently has a 43-102 win-loss record and the Orioles are three and a half games up on the Tigers at 47-99. This means that if the Tigers sweep the series they will have a better record than Baltimore.

It may seem like it’s in Detroit’s best interest to lose, but their players are still going to go out and give it their best. The players have their own interests to consider, such as statistics and future contracts. This will probably lead to some entertaining games to watch, given how close these teams are in their records.

Detroit took two out of three at Camden Yards when the teams met earlier this year. For Detroit to win against the Orioles, they will need to take advantage of their subpar pitching. Baltimore’s 5.72 team ERA the worst in the entire American League. Detroit was able to score 20 runs over three games against the Yankees, so they will look to keep that momentum going forward.

The first game of the series is tonight at 7:10 p.m. and will feature Jordan Zimmermann on the mound for Detroit. Zimmermann is looking for his second win on the year, and this game against the Orioles will probably be his best opportunity to get it.