The Detroit Tigers finally solved Aaron Civale on Saturday. They’ll look to cool down July’s American League Pitcher of the Month on Sunday.
The Tigers defeated visiting Tampa Bay for the first time in five games this season 4-2 on Saturday. Civale, who was making his Rays debut after being acquired from Cleveland at the trade deadline, was 7-0 in 10 previous starts against Detroit.
The Tigers now have to confront the hottest pitcher in the league.
Right-hander Tyler Glasnow (5-3, 3.15 ERA) has been stingy in his last four starts, allowing five earned runs in 27 innings.
In each of his last two starts, he limited the opposition to one run in seven innings while recording eight strikeouts. Jake Bauers’ homer was the only run he gave up against the New York Yankees on Monday.
Glasnow made six starts in July, posting a 2.11 ERA with 51 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings, holding opponents to a .186 batting average. That earned him AL Pitcher of the Month honors.
Glasnow began the season on the injured list because of an oblique strain.
“I think the last few starts I’ve definitely been able to set things up better and pitch and not just try and throw super hard,” he said. “The timing feels a lot better and I just feel a lot more rhythmic and I think just accumulating a few more starts has gotten me back in the right direction.”
His only previous outing against the Tigers was a two-inning relief stint.
He’ll be opposed by Matt Manning (3-3, 4.53 ERA), who has surrendered 11 earned runs in his last two starts. He gave up four runs and eight hits in six innings at Pittsburgh on Tuesday. All but one of those runs came in the second inning.
“Kind of a frustrating game for me,” he said. “I think I had some really good stuff, but I paid for it when I left balls over the plate. But I’m happy with the aggressiveness I’m pitching with right now. I think over time it’s going to translate well.”
Manning had one of the best outings of his career against Tampa Bay last season, tossing seven shutout innings.
The Tigers lost the series opener 8-0 but got some big hits in Saturday’s 4-2 win from Jake Rogers, who knocked in three of those runs. Akil Baddoo added a solo homer and scored two runs.
“When you’re pitching against them, it feels like they’ve got a threat everywhere,’ Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said. “They have a good quality about their offense where they command the strike zone and they do damage. Those are two good characteristics.”
Tampa Bay had won four of its previous five games. The Rays couldn’t get enough timely hits, as they left 10 runners on base. Wander Franco reached base four times, including three hits, and has at least one hit in seven of the last eight games.
After the teams finish the season series on Sunday, the Rays will return home for a six-game homestand, beginning against St. Louis on Tuesday. The Tigers will continue their seven-game homestand with four contests against Central Division leader Minnesota.
–Field Level Media
