Baltimore @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 14, 2011 ) Detroit 5, Baltimore 8

THE STORY: If the Detroit Tigers think they’re going to have it easy this weekend against one of the worst teams in the league, then they obviously haven’t been paying attention to the Baltimore Orioles lately. Instead of packing it in for the season, the Orioles have played a series of potential playoff teams tough over the last two weeks. Baltimore took three of four from the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park and has been pounding the ball of late. The Tigers already have the American League Central wrapped up but are in a battle with the Texas Rangers for the second-best record in the AL and home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Orioles will be looking to play spoiler again when they send Zach Britton to the mound in the opener of a four-game set at Comerica Park on Thursday night.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Baltimore), FSD (Detroit)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles LH Zach Britton (10-10, 4.28 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Jacob Turner (0-1, 7.45 ERA).

Britton bounced back from two sub-par outings with a strong effort against the Los Angeles Angels last weekend. The 23-year-old lefthander yielded just one run on three hits in seven innings while striking out seven to earn the win. Britton has never faced Detroit and has struggled on the road, going 4-6 with a 6.39 ERA.

Turner is set to make his final appearance of the season. The Tigers’ top prospect is up against his innings limit but will make his third major league start. After pitching well in his debut on July 30, the 20-year-old got knocked around for six runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings against the Kansas City Royals on Sept. 1.

ABOUT THE ORIOLES (65-90): Baltimore will get another chance to ruin the postseason hopes of the Red Sox in a three-game series at home to wrap up the season next week, but first it has to face the hottest team in the majors in the Tigers. While the Orioles’ pitching has been just shy of terrible, the offense has been averaging six runs per game while winning seven of their last nine. There are three teams currently still in the wild-card hunt in the AL and Baltimore has taken series from them all over the past 10 days, winning two of three from the Tampa Bay Rays and the Los Angeles Angels before getting to Boston. For the second night in a row, the Orioles came from behind to beat the Red Sox, first getting to Jonathan Papelbon on Tuesday and then beating Josh Beckett on Wednesday.

ABOUT THE TIGERS (90-65): Detroit clinched the division last week but still has not taken its foot off the pedal. The Tigers won six of nine on their just-completed road trip despite beginning the process of limiting starters’ innings in advance of the playoffs. Max Scherzer went the first five innings on Wednesday before yielding to Doug Fister, who worked the next three innings. Manager Jim Leyland figures to limit his starters in a similar fashion until he decides on the rotation that will work best for the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Tigers are tied with the Rangers (90-65).

FINAL PITCH: Leyland said that he would get righthander Al Alburquerque into the game on Thursday after Turner finishes. Alburquerque, who has been dealing with a sore right hip and quadriceps, was supposed to get into a game Tuesday but the medical staff wanted to push it back a day. Scherzer, Fister and closer Jose Valverde took all the innings on Wednesday, leaving Alburquerque with Thursday.