A pair of AL Central rivals continue an early week set on the diamond on the shores of Lake Erie. The Detroit Tigers are on the road for the second game of a day-night doubleheader and the second game of a four-game series with the Cleveland Guardians Monday night. Detroit closed out a three-game set on the road against the White Sox Sunday hoping to avoid a sweep. They were defeated 6-4 on Saturday night in the middle game of the series. Cleveland played the rubber game of their three-game set on the road with the Blue Jays Sunday afternoon. The Guardians were edged 2-1 on Saturday afternoon in the middle game of the set. This article was published prior to the conclusion of each team’s contests on Sunday, not to mention the first game of the doubleheader Monday afternoon.
Detroit went into Sunday losers of six straight games as they were knocked off by the White Sox on Saturday in the middle game of this set. The Tigers went into Sunday’s contest last in the AL Central, 18 games behind the Guardians for the top spot. In the AL wild card race, they were 17.5 games behind Tampa Bay for the final wild card spot. On Saturday, Detroit got a pair of hits each from Harold Castro (run) and Akil Baddoo (run) while Riley Greene drove in three with a bases-clearing double. That wasn’t enough to secure a victory however. Matt Manning didn’t factor in the decision as he allowed four runs on 10 hits with one walk and five strikeouts over five innings of work. Joe Jimenez (3-2) took the loss in relief as he allowed one run on two hits with no walks or strikeouts over two-thirds of an inning.
Bryan Garcia is expected to take the mound for his third start of the year for the Tigers in this contest. He comes in with no record, a 2.35 ERA, a 1.565 WHIP, eight walks and six strikeouts over 7.2 innings of work on the year. Garcia didn’t factor in the decision in his last start, which came August 5 at home against Tampa Bay. He threw four scoreless innings, allowing one hit with six walks and three strikeouts in a game the Tigers went on to lose by a 5-3 score. Garcia makes his 12th career appearance and first start against the Guardians in this contest. He is 0-1 with two saves, a 2.61 ERA, a 2.032 WHIP, 12 walks and seven strikeouts over 10.1 innings of work against them. Garcia has no record, a 5.79 ERA, a 2.143 WHIP, five walks and one strikeout over 4.2 innings in five career appearances, all in relief, at Progressive Field. Prior to being recalled, Garcia was 1-2 with one save, a 3.86 ERA, a 1.556 WHIP, 26 walks and 37 strikeouts over 44.1 innings in 32 appearances, four starts, with Triple-A Toledo of the International L eague.