Tigers' sprint to finish begins tonight vs. Orioles
Detroit — Against all odds, the Tigers hold their fate in their hands.
Despite all the injuries, the inconsistency and the maddeningly manic swings between pretender and contender, the Tigers can still control their playoff destiny with 23 games left.
But that control is fragile and, given how the series in Chicago ended, flickering.
“You are in September and you have an opportunity to make the playoffs,” second baseman Ian Kinsler said. “That’s all you can ask for at the end of a season — an opportunity. Now we have one. It’s no longer a long season. We’ve got (23) games left. Let’s see where it takes us.”
The sprint to the finish begins tonight. The Tigers open a three-game home series against the Orioles, who sit one game ahead of them in the race for the second wild card.
While this series is vitally important, for both teams, it’s too soon to deem it do-or-die. For starters, the Tigers are still alive in the division race.
They have seven games left against the American League Central-leading Indians, whom they trail by six games.
Secondly, the Orioles, Blue Jays and Red Sox are all separated by two games atop the AL East. It’s not inconceivable, as those teams beat each other this month, one or two could fall out of the race. Especially considering the Tigers, Astros and Yankees are all within 2 1/2 games of the second wild card.
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This is likely to be a wild, multi-team scramble right to the final day of the regular season.
But if you were to try to run these scenarios by manager Brad Ausmus, he would stop you before you got through your first sentence. He won’t allow the team’s focus to get that broad. His mantra all season — and it’s served the team well — is forget the past, don’t worry about tomorrow, just win today.
And the task at hand is the Orioles.
“It’s an important series because of the nature of the wild-card race,” Ausmus said after the Tigers lost their second game in a row to the White Sox on Wednesday. “It’s a bit ironic that we’re facing Baltimore in September. We’re essentially fighting for the same thing.”
Slugfest looming?
Ironic? Possibly because it was in Baltimore last season that then-general manager Dave Dombrowski pulled the plug on the season — trading David Price, Yoenis Cespedes and Joakim Soria.
Ironic, too, possibly because it was in Baltimore earlier this season (May 15) when Detroit hit rock bottom and began its incremental climb into contention.
They had lost 11 of 12 and were about to lose again when, with two outs in the top of the eighth inning, J.D. Martinez and Miguel Cabrera hit back-to-back home runs off reliever Darren O’Day to rescue a 6-5 win and start a 9-2 run.
Ironic, as well, possibly because the last time the Orioles and Tigers played a meaningful series late in the year was the 2014 AL Division Series. That series ended bitterly for the Tigers, being swept and watching the Orioles celebrate at Comerica Park after a 2-1 victory.
A 2-1 score in this series seems improbable. Both teams are built to slug, but nobody in baseball slugs like the Orioles. Their 219 homers leads the majors, and 101 have come on the road. So it’s not like their power is a by-product of the cozy dimensions at Camden Yards.
“Better not make a lot of mistakes in the middle of the plate against their lineup,” Ausmus said. “Although they’d probably say the same about us. If you do, it’ll be a bit of a slugfest.”
The Orioles have six players with at least 20 homers, three with more than 30 — Mark Trumbo (41), Chris Davis (35), Manny Machado (34), Adam Jones (26), Jonathan Schoop (21) and Pedro Alvarez (20).
The Tigers have 183 dingers, and for the first time since 1997 have five players with at least 20 — Cabrera (31), Kinsler (25), Victor Martinez (23), Justin Upton (22) and J.D. Martinez (20).
Both teams average just under five runs a game — Orioles 4.75 and the Tigers 4.61.
They are very similarly structured offensive teams.
Tigers rotation has edge
The Orioles, though they just took two of three on the road over the Rays, have struggled as visitors — 31-38. While they have arguably the best closer in the game in Zach Britton (40 saves), O’Day, their top setup man, is on the disabled list and their starting pitching has been spotty.
The Orioles starting pitching ranks 12th in the American League in ERA (4.86), 13th in WHIP (1.43) and 11th in opponents’ batting average (.268).
Their ace, Chris Tillman, who will start against Tigers ace Justin Verlander on Sunday, has been on the disabled list since Aug. 24 with a shoulder injury.
Zimmermann will start Saturday vs. Orioles
The Tigers have their pitching rotation, which since the All-Star break has been the second stingiest in the American League, aligned about as well as they could’ve hoped. Right-hander Michael Fulmer, one of the players acquired on that fateful trade-deadline day in Baltimore last year, will start tonight against right-hander Kevin Gausman.
On Saturday, Jordan Zimmermann, making his second start since June 30 — finally recovered from neck and shoulder ailments — faces right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez.
Then on Sunday will be a battle of aces — Tillman vs. Verlander.
The Tigers have had success against Gausman and Jimenez. Gausman hasn’t allowed a run his last 19 innings, but the Tigers got him for four runs and 10 hits in four innings in May.
When he struggles, it’s typically against heavy right-handed lineups like the Tigers. Right-handed hitters are hitting .289 against him with a .840 OPS (lefties are hitting .227 with a .640 OPS).
Jimenez has pitched well his three previous starts (seven runs in 212/3 innings), but the Tigers have owned him over the years. He is 5-11 against the Tigers, with a 5.68 ERA and 1.550 WHIP in 20 starts.
Should be fun.
“They are a very good team in the thick of it with us,” Kinsler said. “I’m just glad we’re playing at home. It’ll be a good series.”
ON DECK: ORIOLES
Series: Three games, tonight-Sunday, Comerica Park, Detroit
First pitch: 7:10 tonight-Saturday, 1:10 p.m. Sunday
TV/radio: FSD/97.1
Probables: Tonight — RHP Kevin Gausman (7-10, 3.58) vs. RHP Michael Fulmer (10-6, 2.77); Saturday — RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (6-11, 6.19) vs. RHP Jordan Zimmermann (9-5, 4.44); Sunday — RHP Chris Tillman (15-5, 3.76) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (14-7, 3.28).
Lynn Henning contributed to this report.
chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com
Twitter @cmccosky