San Francisco @ Detroit preview
Comerica Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 6, 2014 ) San Francisco 5, Detroit 4
The San Francisco Giants have been nearly all-or-nothing when it comes to facing American League Central competition in 2014, although their success against the Detroit Tigers doesn’t seem to be as fleeting. The Giants eye their third sweep of an AL Central foe on Sunday when they wrap up a three-game set in Detroit. San Francisco opened interleague play with a 6-0 mark after defeating Cleveland and Minnesota before Kansas City and the Chicago White Sox took six of seven from the Giants.
San Francisco, which trails the Los Angeles Dodgers by two games in the National League West and sits atop the wild-card standings, downed the Tigers for the eighth time in nine meetings on Saturday. Detroit, which has dropped six straight to the Giants (including a four-game sweep in the 2012 World Series), is 1 1/2 games behind Seattle for the AL’s second wild card and two behind Kansas City in the Central after its third loss in four tries. Slugger Miguel Cabrera is starting to show signs of warming up for the Tigers, going 13-for-26 with four home runs and six RBIs in 26 at-bats during September after a rough August.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Tim Hudson (9-9, 3.08 ERA) vs. Tigers LH Kyle Lobstein (0-0, 3.18)
Despite surrendering six runs (five earned) in five frames on Monday, Hudson was in line for the victory before setting for a no-decision in a 10-9 setback at Colorado. The four-time All-Star, who is only one of three active players to have pitched at Detroit’s old home (Tiger Stadium), is 4-5 in 14 road outings despite a 2.76 ERA. Hudson will face the Tigers for the first time since 2004 in his final season with Oakland, where he went 9-2 with a 3.07 ERA in 14 all-time starts versus Detroit.
Lobstein became the third pitcher in team history to reach double digits in strikeouts in one of his first three major-league outings, fanning 10 batters while allowing two runs on five hits over 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision against Cleveland on Tuesday. The outing was an uncharacteristic one for the 25-year-old rookie, who struck out only three batters in 11 2/3 innings over his first two career starts. Lobstein has been particularly difficult for left-handed hitters to handle thus far, holding them to a .130 average.
WALK-OFFS
1. San Francisco 1B Buster Posey is hitting .508 with seven homers and 21 RBIs over his last 15 games.
2. Cabrera slugged his first two home runs in Detroit since Aug. 2 on Saturday and has two multi-homer games in his last six contests after ending a 27-game drought on Sept. 1.
3. Giants RF Hunter Pence is batting .384 during his 18-game hitting streak.
PREDICTION: Tigers 3, Giants 2