It wasn't a kind weekend for the Detroit Tigers (7-13) or the Milwaukee Brewers (15-7), but both sides can atone for that in this series. Grabbing game one would be a wonderful start for these interleague foes who are trying to get back on track. Detroit and Milwaukee last faced off in 2021, with the Tigers taking three of those four games. Plenty has changed since then, but the goal at 7:40 p.m. EDT on Monday will remain the same. Leave American Family Field with a much-needed victory.
The Tigers were swept in Baltimore over the weekend, and a lack of offense is squarely to blame. They only mustered one run in all three contests, in a series where the pitching staff only allowed two runs twice. Sunday afternoon's contest was a 2-1 10-inning loss despite Detroit taking a 1-0 lead in the eighth inning. Although the bullpen blew the save, one run shouldn't be enough on most days.
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— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) April 23, 2023
That's been the norm for the Tigers this season though, as they're only putting up 3.0 runs per game. Detroit is the worst run-scoring team in the league along with ranking last in batting average and slugging. They're 29th in on-base percentage. Zach McKinstry and Jake Rogers have solid numbers but also fewer than 40 at-bats.
Detroit's bullpen came into Sunday 28th in WAR, and allowing two runs in 2.1 innings won't help that when added to the blown save. Their relievers also entered the day with a 4.56 ERA, 4.97 FIP, 1.64 HR/9, and a left-on-base percentage of 69.4%. The Tigers pen is top-five in BB/9, but otherwise, the numbers aren't great.
Matthew Boyd will get the start, hopefully matching Eduardo Rodriguez's excellent effort on Sunday. Boyd only pitched in 10 games last season, all as a reliever, but he's back to starting this season. He's allowed seven runs in 14.0 innings, whi le his 11 strikeouts have nearly been matched by nine walks. His early returns haven't been great, but the Tigers have won two of his three starts in 2023.