The Detroit Tigers (37-55, 43-49 RL, 34-54-4 O/U) battle the Cleveland Guardians (46-44, 47-43 RL, 43-43-4 O/U) as the AL Central foes conclude a four-game series on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers will be going with a bullpen start. It will be Shane Bieber eyeing his eighth win for Cleveland. The Tigers lead the season series 7-5.
The Tigers were supposed to have Beau Brieske on the mound however the squad is limiting his innings in his rookie season. It will be a bullpen start for the Tigers. Overall the Tigers' bullpen has been a pleasant surprise this season, registering a 3.08 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP on the season. Only the Astros and Yankees' bullpen has a better ERA than the Tigers.
The Tigers' frustrating performance at the plate continues. They recently won six in a row but have stumbled again, losing six out of their last eight games entering Saturday. The offense remains quiet while the pitching has been keeping them in games despite several injuries to key pitchers.
Javier Baez has collected ten RBIs so far this month. The 29-year-old has been the Tigers’ best hitter recently and now has a team-leading nine homers with 35 RBIs and a .632 OPS. Baez is only 5 for 33 with four RBIs against the Guardians this season.
Detroit is averaging 3.15 runs, pegging them last. The pitching staff has fielded a 4.05 team ERA, placing them 20th in the big leagues.