Detroit Vs. Texas 8-2-11
Trips to Detroit have not gone well for the Texas Rangers lately.
They left their last visit to the Motor City with the reigning AL MVP on the disabled list.
In a matchup of division leaders, Josh Hamilton and the Rangers hope to end their recent woes at Comerica Park in Tuesday night's opener with the Tigers.
Texas (61-48) has dropped 14 of 17 games at Comerica and is returning to Detroit for the first time since losing two of three from April 11-13. In the middle game of that series, Hamilton broke his upper right arm on a headfirst dive into home plate on an attempt to tag up from third on a popup near the third base dugout. The slugger was sidelined for six weeks.
Since coming off the DL, Hamilton has returned to his All-Star form, and the Rangers have opened up a two-game lead over Los Angeles atop the AL West.
The Rangers made a pair of deadline deals to bolster their bullpen for a playoff run, acquiring Mike Adams from San Diego and Koji Uehara from Baltimore. Texas' bullpen ranks among the worst in the AL with 19 losses and 15 blown saves.
"We certainly helped ourselves tremendously by getting (Adams) and Koji," manager Ron Washington said after Sunday's 7-3 loss to Toronto. "We certainly tightened up our bullpen."
The Tigers (57-51) also made a couple of moves, acquiring third baseman Wilson Betemit from Kansas City and starter Doug Fister and reliever David Pauley from Seattle.
Detroit is coming an exciting 3-2 win over the Angels on Sunday, as staff ace Justin Verlander came within four outs of his third no-hitter. Just before Verlander's no-hit bid was dashed, Los Angeles' Jered Weaver was ejected for throwing at Alex Avila immediately after Carlos Guillen showboated on a home run.
Magglio Ordonez also went deep for the Tigers, who are sixth in the AL with 105 home runs. That potent offense could again make things difficult for scheduled starter Colby Lewis (10-8, 4.00 ERA), who has surrendered an AL-worst 26 homers.
In his only start of the season against Detroit on June 6, Lewis allowed season worsts of nine runs, 10 hits and four homers in 3 1-3 innings of a 13-7 loss. Brennan Boesch hit two home runs, while Avila and Andy Dirks also went deep.
Lewis, who allowed four runs and eight hits in 6 2-3 innings of Wednesday's 7-2 loss to Minnesota, is 2-2 with a 7.54 ERA in four career starts versus Detroit. Miguel Cabrera has regularly given the right-hander trouble, going 4 for 9 with two doubles.
Cabrera, who has recorded five multihit games in helping Detroit take four of six from Texas this year, is batting .420 with six homers, 12 doubles and 31 RBIs in his last 27 games in the series.
The Tigers turn to Max Scherzer (11-6, 4.28), who gave up two runs and six hits with eight strikeouts in six innings of Wednesday's 2-1 loss to Chicago. It was the fourth straight start the right-hander yielded two runs or fewer.
For the most part, Scherzer has pitched brilliantly in 12 starts at Comerica Park, going 5-1 with a 1.44 ERA in nine of them but 0-2 with a 16.88 ERA in the other three.
One of those solid starts came against the Rangers on April 13, when he allowed two runs in six innings without receiving a decision in a 3-2 victory. Scherzer is 3-0 with a 3.48 ERA in five career starts versus Texas.
Hamilton is 1 for 9 lifetime against Scherzer and 4 for 17 (.235) with a double and four RBIs in five games versus the Tigers this season.
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