Series preview: Detroit Tigers host Minnesota Twins

The Detroit Tigers begin their final series of the 2019 season at home today against the Minnesota Twins. Here’s what to watch for.

The Detroit Tigers begin their final home series of a disappointing 2019 season today against their division rivals, the Minnesota Twins. The Twins have exceeded most expectations this year and currently lead the AL Central by four games.

This is a series that has possible playoff implications. While everyone expects Minnesota to win these games, Detroit has a chance to play spoiler and possibly influence the playoffs if they can win some games in this three-game series. The Twins are currently four games ahead of the Indians who are a half-game out of the second place wild card slot. While it seems absurd, given the season they have had, the Twins could still miss the playoffs entirely with a few losses.

So, what does Detroit need to do to win a few games against a playoff-caliber team? Their hitters will need to take advantage of the opportunities they get. Minnesota is going to score their runs, so Detroit will need to outpace them with runs of their own. Comerica Park might give Detroit a bit of an edge here. Minnesota is a team that relies heavily on the long ball to score and Comerica park is a difficult field to go deep in.

Detroit has had some players who have been hot lately. Keep an eye on Victor Reyes, Dawel Lugo, and Jeimer Candelario over the course of this series. Reyes and Lugo have been hitting consistently, and Candelario is starting to show signs of heating up. Ending the season on a high note will be important for their mentality moving into the offseason.

The three-game series kicks off tonight at 6:40 p.m. EST and will feature Spencer Turnbull against Jake Odorizzi. Odorizzi has been one of the Twins’ most consistent pitchers, and currently has a 14-7 record with a 3.59 ERA. Turnbull has struggled to pick up wins all year, with a 3-15 record, but does have one of the lower ERA’s amongst Detroit’s pitchers at 4.66. This should be an exciting series to follow for fans on both sides.