Washington @ Detroit preview
Comerica Park
Last Meeting ( Jul 30, 2013 ) Washington 1, Detroit 5
The Detroit Tigers look to remain perfect on their eight-game homestand when they take on the Washington Nationals on Wednesday afternoon in the finale of their brief two-game interleague series. Detroit has won the first four games of its homestand and eight of its last nine overall as it sits 2 1/2 games ahead of the Cleveland Indians in the American League Central. Alex Avila belted his first career grand slam and Anibal Sanchez pitched seven strong innings as the Tigers claimed the opener of the two-game set on Tuesday.
The Tigers could be without third baseman Miguel Cabrera, who left Tuesday's contest after seven innings as he apparently aggravated the hip injury that sidelined him for four games last week. Cabrera went 1-for-4 before exiting and 3-for-8 in three contests upon his return. The loss halted Washington's three-game winning streak and dropped the club 10 games behind the first-place Atlanta Braves in the National League East.
TV: 1:08 p.m. ET, MASN (Washington), FSN (Detroit)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals LH Gio Gonzalez (7-3, 2.97 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Justin Verlander (10-8, 3.99)
Gonzalez has won each of his last four decisions but has gone two straight starts without a victory despite recording a season-high 11 strikeouts in both outings. The 27-year-old tossed six scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 20 and yielded three runs in 5 2/3 frames versus Pittsburgh five days later, coming away with a no-decision each time. Gonzalez has struggled in five career starts against Detroit as he is 1-3 with a 5.33 ERA.
Verlander has been roughed up while losing three of his last four starts. The former AL MVP has surrendered 18 runs (17 earned) and 31 hits over 18 2/3 innings in the defeats, including a loss at Chicago on Thursday in which he was tagged for seven runs and 11 hits by the White Sox in six frames. Verlander won his only career start against Washington, allowing three runs while striking out 11 over eight innings on June 16, 2010.
WALK-OFFS
1. Verlander has yielded four or more runs in five of his last eight outings.
2. Gonzalez was battered for nine runs (eight earned) in just 1 2/3 innings in his only career start at Comerica Park in 2008 when he pitched for Oakland.
3. Detroit acquired INF Jose Iglesias from Boston on Tuesday in a three-way deal in which the Tigers sent OF Avisail Garcia to Chicago and RHP Brayan Villarreal to the Red Sox as part of the trade in which Boston acquired Jake Peavy from the White Sox.
PREDICTION: Tigers 5, Nationals 3