After going full bullpen on Saturday night, the Detroit Tigers and host Colorado Rockies will return to the traditional starter-vs.-starter matchup in the series finale on Sunday in Denver.
Detroit will send Matt Manning (1-1, 4.15 ERA) to the mound against Colorado’s Connor Seabold (1-4, 5.98) in a battle of right-handers.
The teams have split the first two games of the series, with the Rockies winning 8-5 on Friday before the Tigers rallied for a 4-2 victory in 10 innings on Saturday night.
Manning, 25, who has yet to face the Rockies in his young career, is slated to make his second start since coming off the injured list.
He sustained a fractured foot when he was hit by a line drive against Toronto on April 11 and returned to the rotation at Texas on Tuesday. He allowed two runs on three hits in 5 2/3 innings of a no-decision vs. the Rangers.
Detroit manager A.J. Hinch was pleased with what he saw from Manning, who has pitched just 165 2/3 innings in his three-year career. Manning blanked Texas for five innings before having control issues in the sixth.
“I knew it was getting close to the end of my outing, so I just let it eat,” Manning said. “I let it all out and just left everything on the field.”
Manning missed time last year with shoulder inflammation, biceps tendinitis and a forearm strain and has made just 15 starts since the start of 2022.
“I was glad to have him back,” Hinch said. “There was some good and some (moments where he battled). He still sprayed the ball quite a bit but seemingly stayed in there and hung in there the best he could.
“We got his pitch count up as best we could. It is something for him to build on.”
Seabold will make his 11th start of the season and his first career appearance against the Tigers. He joined Colorado’s rotation in May after injuries sidelined German Marquez, Antonio Senzatela and Ryan Feltner.
Seabold got his only win in his second start of the season — at Pittsburgh on May 9 — and has struggled since. He gave up nine runs to Atlanta on June 17 and took another loss 10 days later after allowing four runs in five innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He finished June with a 6.04 ERA over five starts.
The Rockies haven’t had much to celebrate in their rotation of late. Austin Gomber got the win Friday night against Detroit, but he is the only starter to earn a win since May 14. It has been a struggle due to a mix of a tired bullpen and some early deficits.
“We’re putting ourselves in such a big hole early on, and that’s stuff that we can control,” Gomber said after his strong outing Friday. “Obviously, everybody’s trying to go out there and have success, right? Nobody’s trying to go out there and give up runs. It’s not for lack of effort or preparation. It’s just a bottom-line business.”
–Field Level Media
