Detroit @ Baltimore preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 12, 2010 ) Baltimore 2, Detroit 6

The Detroit Tigers have been out of the playoff race for a while but at least they’ve had Miguel Cabrera to support, but now that’s apparently over as well.

The Tigers will begin the last series of the season without their star slugger when they open a four-game set with a single-admission doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday.

Thursday’s series opener was washed out due to the remnants of Tropical Storm Nicole heading up the east coast.

Cabrera leads the majors with 126 RBIs and is very much in the discussion for American League MVP honors. He suffered a high-ankle sprain on a pickoff attempt Monday night and did not play Tuesday or Wednesday. An MRI exam showed no break, but with Detroit out of contention, Cabrera will not even make the trip to Baltimore.

The All-Star first baseman is tied for second in the AL with 38 homers and his .328 batting average ranks third in the league. He is in contention with Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton, New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano, Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer and a few others for the MVP award, though he is the only one of that group who will not be playing in the postseason.

The Tigers were swept in a three-game series by the Cleveland Indians earlier in the week, including losses in both ends of a doubleheader on Wednesday.

Baltimore has been in evaluation mode for a while now, with new manager Buck Showalter assessing his team in preparation for next season and beyond. The Orioles took two of three from the Tampa Bay Rays this week and clinched a winning September with Wednesday’s 2-0 victory.

Chris Tillman will make his final start of the season for the Orioles on Friday. The 22-year-old right-hander had impressive numbers in the minor leagues but has yet to see that success translate to the majors, as inconsistent command has led to a 3-10 record with a 5.88 ERA in 22 starts between 2009 and 2010. But with Baltimore firmly in rebuilding mode, Tillman will get every chance next season to prove that he belongs in the majors and a strong finish in 2010 will certainly help.

He had one of his best starts against the Tigers on September 12, yielding just one run and one hit in 6 2/3 innings. Command was again a problem, however, with Tillman issuing six walks in the no-decision. He made a start against Detroit in 2009 as well, allowing five runs in six innings during another no-decision.

The Tigers will counter with veteran Jeremy Bonderman. Still just 27 years old, Bonderman is happy to just have a full season under his belt after making only eight appearances in 2009 and 12 in 2008 due to arm troubles. He might be tiring down the stretch with the workload, allowing seven runs on nine hits over four innings last time out against Minnesota.

Bonderman owns a 2-3 record with a 6.92 ERA in five career starts against the Orioles, though he has not faced them since April of 2007.