Kansas City @ Detroit preview
Comerica Park
Last Meeting ( Jun 6, 2010 ) Detroit 2, Kansas City 7
With visions of the postseason quickly reducing to a pipe dream, the Detroit Tigers look like they are finally putting it together as they head into a three-game set against the Kansas City Royals on Monday at Comerica Park.
Detroit, which sits 15 games back of the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins, is coming off a big weekend at the plate against the Cleveland Indians. The Tigers outscored the Indians, 19-3, over three games and put the lid on a series sweep with an 8-1 rout on Sunday.
On the year, the Tigers own the league’s sixth-best team batting average at .268, but produce just 4.34 runs per game – good for 18th in the show.
As usual, Miguel Cabrera is doing his part for the offense. He was 4-for-10 over the weekend and is now hitting .341 with 31 home runs and a league-leading 102 RBIs on the season.
Cabrera looks to pad those numbers against Kansas City’s Bruce Chen (8-6, 4.61 ERA) on Monday. Cabrera is 5-for-8 against Chen with two home runs and a double in his career.
Chen, who has won three of his last four starts, allowed four runs on 11 hits during last week’s 9-7 win over Cleveland.
The Tigers (61-63) counter with the struggling Jeremy Bonderman (6-9, 5.37 ERA). The 27-year-old has lost three straight, giving up 16 runs over 15 1/3 innings, while walking eight and allowing five home runs.
In his last outing, Bonderman allowed seven runs and six hits in five innings en route to a 9-5 loss to the New York Yankees.
Bonderman has had a tough time regaining his form after blood clots cut his 2008 season short and his recent hardships even have him considering an early retirement.
He told the Detroit Free Press late last month that he could walk away from the game after his contract expires at the end of the season to spend more time with his family.
Bonderman, who has yielded 18 homers over his last 14 starts, can at least take solace in the fact that Kansas City isn’t much of a long-ball threat. The Royals have just 84 home runs on the season, paced by Yuniesky Betancourt’s 13 blasts.
Kansas City (52-71) has taken 11 of its last 16 meetings with Detroit and has won five of its last seven overall, but is just 3-13 in its last 16 games away from home.