Tigers Welcome Red Sox for Huge AL Clash
Miguel Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers will look to bring down the AL-leading Boston Red Sox.
American League division leaders will meet on Thursday as the Detroit Tigers welcome the Boston Red Sox to Comerica Park for a four-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 7:08 p.m. ET.
The AL Central-leading Tigers will look to make a statement as the AL East-leading Red Sox visit the Motor City for the only time this year, postseason pending. Of course, the two talented clubs appear to have more than enough to make it to the postseason, which means an October showdown is by no means out of the question.
Division Leaders Clash in Motown
The Tigers currently own a 3 1/2 game lead over the Cleveland Indians in the AL Central. Thanks to some exceptional starting pitching and the continued dominance of Triple Crown-winning Miguel Cabrera at the plate, the club has managed to stay a nose ahead of Terry Francona’s much improved Indians side.
Detroit (39-31, 23-12 home) dropped back-to-back games to the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday and Wednesday, including a 13-3 bombardment in the latter game. The Tigers snapped a five-game winning streak in the process. Jim Leyland’s side will be looking to return to winning ways on Thursday against a formidable opponent.
Boston (44-30, 21-15 road) enters the series with a 1 1/2 game lead over Baltimore in the AL East, a division that is all but assured of going down to the wire again this season.
The Red Sox arrive in Motown on the back of a 2-1 series win over the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays snatched a 6-2 victory on Wednesday to avoid a sweep in the short series that saw three games played in about 33 hours.
John Farrell’s club arrives in Detroit with the American League’s best road record. The Tigers meanwhile enter the game with the league’s best home record. As the old saying goes; something’s got to give.
Jose Alvarez will make his second major league start on Thursday. He’ll try to stop the best offense in baseball.
Starting Pitchers
Detroit will send Jose Alvarez (1-0, 1.50 ERA) to the mound, spelling Anibal Sanchez who is currently on the 15-day DL with a shoulder injury.
In his major league debut on June 9, Alvarez picked up a win against the Cleveland Indians. In six full innings, the 24-year-old Venezuelan allowed just one run on three hits, giving up a homerun to Ryan Raburn. He struck out seven on that afternoon. After returning to Triple A Toledo for one game, he now gets to try his hand against the team that originally signed him.
John Lackey (4-5, 3.08 ERA) will start for Boston on Thursday. The veteran right-hander has been inconsistent after missing all of last year following Tommy John surgery. His ERA suggests he’s on the right track though. He recorded the win in his last outing (Jun. 15), yielding two runs on seven hits in seven innings against the Orioles at Camden Yards.
Lackey is 6-2 in 10 career starts against the Tigers, but lost his only start against the side after his move to Massachusetts in 2010.
The Red Sox are 5-6 when Lackey starts this season.
Game Day Betting Lines
Boston Red Sox vs. Detroit Tigers odds for 6/20/13 are available now.
Detroit (-132) opened as the favorite over Boston (+122) although most sportsbooks have subsequently narrowed the gap between the two sides.
The clubs have not met yet this season, so bettors have little to go on in the head-to-head stakes. The two sides split 10 games evenly last season, although Detroit went 3-0 in games played at Comerica Park. Of course, that was a very different Red Sox side to the one we’re used to seeing.
Detroit (37-32-1) have favored the over this season, as has Boston (36-34-4). However, the smart money may be on the under in this one.
Eight of Detroit’s last 10 games have seen the total go under, while the Red Sox have not seen the total go over in eight games, with seven going under and one finishing with a push.
The Tigers and Red Sox will meet again, this time in a three-game series at Fenway Park in September (2nd – 4th).
