Boston @ Detroit Preview

The teams with the best record in the AL East and the AL Central are scheduled to collide tonight as the Boston Red Sox are taking on the Detroit Tigers in the first game of a four game series.

The Tigers are coming off getting decisively swept by Boston’s rivals the Baltimore Orioles.  The Orioles are now only 1.5 games behind the Red Sox and the Sox find themselves in need of putting some distance between themselves and Baltimore especially after dropping their last game to the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Tigers will be starting southpaw and rookie Jose Alvarez.  In his MLB debut Alvarez, who wasreplacing Anibal Sanchez (on the disabled list), carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning.  He allowed just one run and three hits over six inning in his debut against the Cleavland Indians.  He walked just one batter and got seven strikeouts.  Alvarez will likely be getting a big challenge from the Red SOx who lead the League in runs scored per game.

John Lackey, the veteran right-hander, will be starting in Boston.  Lackey has a 3.08 ERA with a 4-5 record in 11 starts this season.   In his last six outings he has posted a 2.39 ERA.  In his last time on the mound he held Baltimore to just two runs over seven inning.  Both runs were giving up in the first frame.  Lackey went on to blank the Orioles for six innings.

This is the first time this season that the Red Sox and Tigers have faced off.  These teams are very similar in style.  The Tigers and Red Sox rank first and second in on-base percentage and love powerhouse baseball.

Bovada has their money line favoring the Tigers with a -120 compared to a +110 for the Red Sox.  The Game starts at 7:08 p.m. ET.