The Detroit Tigers have been picking up momentum after a rough stretch and are aiming to climb up the standings in the weak American League Central. They have won four out of their last five games, following a stretch of 11 losses in 12 games. The Tigers will continue their series against the Kansas City Royals with the middle game on Tuesday.
In the series opener on Monday, Detroit made a comeback from a 4-0 deficit to secure a 6-4 victory. Kerry Carpenter hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning to cap a five-run rally. Carpenter has homered in back-to-back games, providing a boost for the team.
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch praised Carpenter’s timely contribution, saying, “We had the right guy up at the right time. He got the right pitch, and we got the right outcome. That’s a jolt in the dugout and in the ballpark.”
The Tigers will send right-hander Michael Lorenzen to the mound as their scheduled starter for Tuesday’s game. Lorenzen has been pitching deep into games, going at least six innings in seven of his past eight starts. However, his recent outings haven’t been as successful, with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Atlanta Braves roughing him up for a total of 12 runs in his last two starts.
Lorenzen has faced the Royals twice in his career, including a start last month, but has not recorded a decision in either game. In his last outing against Kansas City on May 22, he gave up five runs and three home runs in 5 2/3 innings.
On the other side, the Royals will counter with left-hander Daniel Lynch as their scheduled starter. Lynch struggled in his previous start, allowing four home runs and seven runs in seven innings against the Cincinnati Reds. He has a 0-3 record with a 5.79 ERA this season.
Lynch has faced the Tigers six times in his career, earning one win and posting a 5.22 ERA. The Tigers will welcome back shortstop Javier Baez to the lineup on Tuesday, while they hope outfielder Matt Vierling can also return after missing the past two games with back spasms.
The Royals had a bright spot in Monday’s game with Bobby Witt Jr. hitting his second home run of the month. Witt has shown improvement in his approach and plate discipline recently, and the Royals are hoping to see continued progress from the young infielder.
Although Witt’s performance has been encouraging, the Royals have struggled overall, losing 15 of their past 17 games. Manager Matt Quatraro emphasized the importance of a better approach and plate discipline for Witt and the team as a whole.
The Tigers and Royals will look to build on their recent performances as they face off in the second game of the series. First pitch is slated for 5:40, with pregame at 5 o’clock on KTTN AM 1600 and FM 98.3, joined in progress after a news and weather update on 92.3 FM.