MLB Game Preview - Detroit at Chicago Sox

Wed Apr 5, 2017 2:10 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- One victory in a long major league season is just that -- one win.

But after failing to make the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, the Detroit Tigers will take any positive start to the year they can get. And after Justin Verlander struck out 10 hitters in a 6-3 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday in a season opener delayed for a day by rain, the Tigers are hoping to keep things rolling in the right direction.

But weather may throw a wrench into things.

Detroit's Jordan Zimmermann and Chicago's James Shields are scheduled to make their season debut on Wednesday. But after a break in the rainy weather on Tuesday, the forecast is calling for more showers on Wednesday.

That may once again throw a wrench into things and make Tuesday's Tigers victory in which Detroit connected on three home runs even more meaningful.

"I think it's important for every ballclub to get off to a good start," Verlander said.

Last season, Verlander said the veteran-laden Tigers could have fallen into a trap of allowing the length of the season to overshadow a slow start. Detroit made a late-season push for the playoffs but fell short.

This season, with more youth around their clubhouse, the Tigers won't give into the same temptation again this year.

"If you're not careful, it can work against you early in the season because if things are going well, say, 'OK, well, it's going to happen -- we'll turn it around,'" Verlander said.

Jordan Zimmermann will look to turn things around after a sluggish start. He registered a 9.42 ERA in six spring starts when he gave up 20 hits. The right-hander will face Shields, who is coming off a 6-19 season when he allowed 31 home runs in 22 appearances with the White Sox after coming over from the San Diego Padres.

The White Sox will look to bounce back from Tuesday's loss when the struggled against Verlander and when starting pitcher Jose Quintana had trouble keeping the ball inside the park as three of the five hits he allowed were home runs.

Now, with more rain forecasted for Wednesday, White Sox manager Rick Renteria won't use the weather as an excuse for the way his team started its season.

And after the White Sox traded away stars like ace Chris Sale and outfielder Adam Eaton in the offseason, Renteria also won't start the season buying into the notion that the White Sox are in rebuilding mode.

"I think we're just looking to go out there and play good baseball," Renteria said. "I think for us, if you want to talk about rebuild for us, it's just simply trying to focus on doing things that we're supposed to do.

"We're focusing on playing the game of baseball. Where those numbers end up falling, they fall. I think these guys are putting in the time to execute and to do what they need to do to give us a chance every single day to win and compete."