Minnesota @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 16, 2015 ) Detroit 7, Minnesota 4

The Detroit Tigers are sitting in last place in the American League Central but are stilling playing a role in the AL postseason race. The Tigers will try to knock Minnesota out of wild card contention when they host the Twins in the opener of a three-game series on Friday.

Detroit has been out of the running for a playoff spot for at least the last month but is still playing hard and already made its presence in the race felt with series wins over the Kansas City Royals and the Twins in the last two weeks. Minnesota had a three-game winning streak come to an end with a 6-3 loss to the Cleveland Indians on Thursday that dropped it 1 1/2 games behind the Houston Astros in the race for the second AL wild card. The Twins are opening a seven-game road trip with the Tigers before closing out the regular season by hosting the first-place Royals in a three-game series. Minnesota will send Mike Pelfrey to the mound on Friday while Matt Boyd searches for back-to-back quality starts for Detroit.

TV: 7:08 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), FSN Detroit

PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Mike Pelfrey (6-10, 4.16 ERA) vs. Tigers LH Matt Boyd (1-5, 7.40)

Pelfrey is winless in his last six outings but snapped a string of five straight starts failing to complete six innings against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday. The Wichita State product scattered four runs and nine hits over six frames to absorb the loss in that outing. Pelfrey is 1-2 with a 4.19 ERA in three starts against Detroit in 2015.

Boyd picked up a win in his first start with the Tigers on Aug. 5 but is winless in eight outings since. The Oregon State product surrendered a pair of solo home runs among three hits in six innings against Kansas City last Saturday and struck out six without factoring in the decision. Boyd is making his first start against Minnesota and is 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in four home starts since joining Detroit.

WALK-OFFS

1. Twins RHP Ricky Nolasco (ankle) is with the team and could be activated Friday for the first time since June 1.

2. Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera (lower back) sat out on Wednesday and is day-to-day.

3. Detroit OF Rajai Davis is 5-for-9 with three runs scored and a pair of triples in his last two games.

PREDICTION: Twins 7, Tigers 5