MLB Game Preview - Detroit at Minnesota
Sat Aug 24, 2019 7:10 PM EDT

WSH
7
CHC
2
F
NYY
1
LAD
2
F
PHI
9
MIA
3
F
CIN
0
PIT
14
F
TB
1
BAL
7
F
ATL
9
NYM
5
F
ARI
0
MIL
4
F
LAA
2
HOU
5
F
DET
5
MIN
8
F
TEX
4
CHW
0
F
KC
2
CLE
4
F
COL
0
STL
6
F
BOS
5
SD
4
F
SF
10
OAK
5
F
TOR
7
SEA
5
F
Tigers look for rare series win vs. Twins
Sat Aug 24, 2019 3:41 AM

The Detroit Tigers have the worst record in baseball at 39-87. But manager Ron Gardenhire is starting to see some positives during their current 3-5 road trip that began with stops at Tampa Bay and Houston and continued with a 9-6 victory over the American League Central-leading Minnesota Twins on Friday night in Minneapolis.

The Tigers rolled up 17 hits, their second-highest total in a game this season, in the win. Ronny Rodriguez went 3-for-5 with his first career grand slam and Dawel Lugo and Harold Castro each had two doubles and three hits.

"I think there's a little bit of confidence going right now," Gardenhire told reporters. "We're starting to swing the bats. We know we're going to have our moments, and we were in a lot of those games (on the road trip)."

Right-hander Edwin Jackson (3-6, 8.46 ERA) will start Saturday night's game for the Tigers, who will go for their second series win since the All-Star break. Right-hander Kyle Gibson (11-6, 4.40) will start for Minnesota.

Jackson is 1-4 with a 5.73 ERA in 10 career appearances and six starts against Minnesota and will be making his first start at Target Field. He has made one appearance there in his career with that coming in 2015 as a member of the Chicago Cubs when he pitched three shutout innings in relief of Kyle Hendricks in a 7-2 loss.

Gibson will be making his 21st career start against Detroit. He is 8-9 with a 5.30 ERA and lost his only start against the Tigers this season, 9-3 in Detroit on June 8 when he allowed five runs on eight hits and two walks over five innings while striking out eight.

Minnesota enters Saturday's action with a 2 1/2-game lead over Cleveland in the Central but is just 2-8 in its last 10 games at Target Field after All-Star Jose Berrios struggled again in Friday night's series-opening loss.

Berrios, who began the season with an 8-2 mark, is just 2-5 in 13 starts since June 6. He fell to 0-2 in four August starts after allowing five runs on 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings on Friday night, including yielding the grand slam to Rodriguez. He has allowed 24 runs (20 earned) on 32 hits over 21 1/3 innings during that four-game span.

"I think he's frustrated for sure," Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli told the media. "No one blames a guy for being frustrated when he doesn't get the result that he wants. Jose's a guy we have complete confidence in."

Berrios had blanked the Tigers on five hits until the sixth inning, when five of the first six batters reached base, capped by Rodriguez's 420-foot grand slam to left that put Detroit ahead to stay, 5-3.

"I feel like last year May 31 when I got called up," Rodriguez said. "It was something special. It's a moment I'll never forget."

"These guys look like they're a little bit hungry," Gardenhire said. "They came in here swinging the bats good against a very good starter in Berrios. We knew that was going to be tough. We put some good swings on him and it was a really nice performance."

Gardenhire said that utility man Niko Goodrum, who left Friday night's game in the fourth inning with left groin tightness, is headed to the injured list with a corresponding player move to be made before Saturday's game.

--Field Level Media

Team Record Comparison

Team Standings GB W-L Aw/Hm Stk L10
Detroit            
Minnesota            

Scheduled Starting Pitchers

Edwin Jackson - (N/A)
Matchup
Season
vs. Opp Has not pitched vs. Minnesota
Kyle Gibson - STL
Matchup
Season
vs. Opp Has not pitched vs. Detroit

Hot Batters (Last 10 team games)

Injury Report

--%>