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Know Your Enemy Again: Detroit Tigers

A.J. Hinch’s punishment lives on.

By Colleen Sullivan
Four tiger cubs born at Bryansk State Circus Photo by Vyacheslav Prokofyev\TASS via Getty Images

Happy 4th of July weekend! As is recent tradition, the White Sox are facing off against the Detroit Tigers.

Last Meetings

The Tigers have not been successful agains the White Sox this season. The White Sox have taken eight of the last ten, with two blowouts of 11-0 and 15-2. One of the losses this season was the infamous “bunt against Derek Holland” game and it’s probably good for our collective blood pressure that we don’t remember that incident. All in all, the White Sox have done OK against the Tigers, but they need to tighten it up if they expect to be able to compete against better teams.

How’s it Going?

The Tigers are well out of playoff contention again. They’re at 36-45 and third in the AL Central, with a 16-25 record against AL Central teams. They won two of three this week against Cleveland and are 18-12 in their last 30. They’re 16-14 at home this season and 17-24 on the road. They managed to sweep Cleveland in the doubleheader Wednesday, swept St. Louis, and took the season series against Houston, with a four-game split. It may not always look like it, but this is the best Tigers team to have taken the field in quite a few years. After starting the season with a -58 run differential, they have posted a 100 wRC+ since May 1 and accumulated a 4.33 FIP.

Jonathan Schoop leads in RBIs (42), batting average (.277), home runs (15), OBP (.340), and hits (82). Meanwhile for the pitching staff, Casey Mize is leading in wins (5) and ERA (3.46), while Tarik Skubal is leading in strikeouts (94), Michael Fulmer leads in saves (6), and Jorge Cisneros is leading in holds (9). The Tigers rank 15th in the AL in runs, 13th in hits, 14th in strikeouts, and 13th in home runs.

Miguel Cabrera hit his 494th career homer against Cleveland yesterday during the doubleheader, so hopefully we can keep those six remaining away from him over the next three days.

Pitching Matchups

Today is Lance Lynn vs. Casey Mize. Mize is having a good season so far, posting a 5-4 record with a 3.46 ERA. He’s given up 74 hits and 13 home runs, while striking out 71 and walking 26. He’s gone 2-1 over his last seven games, lasting 42 innings and allowing 38 hits while posting a 3.21 ERA. In Mize’s outings against the White Sox, he’s gone 0-2 (in four starts), lasting 22 2/3 and giving up 17 hits, four home runs, while striking out 24. Mize has five pitches in his arsenal: 4-seam (28.4%), slider (26.3%), sinker (22.7%), split finger (15.3%), and curveball (7.3%).

This season, Lance Lynn is 7-3 with a 2.06 ERA. He’s pitched 78 2/3 innings, allowing 55 hits and striking out 90. In his last five starts against Detroit, he’s 3-2, going 30 innings and allowing 27 hits while striking out 35 and posting a 3.30 ERA.

Saturday is Dallas Keuchel vs. Tarik Skubal. Skubal is 4-7 this season with a 4.06 ERA. He’s lasted 77 2/3 while giving up 70 hits, 16 home runs, 94 strikeouts, and walked 36. He’s 3-1 in his last seven starts, lasting 39 2/3 innings and allowing 31 hits while striking out 54. Skubal has faced the White Sox three times, going 1-1 in 13 innings and allowing 18 hits while striking out 18 and giving up two home runs. Skubal has seven pitches in his arsenal: 4-seam (48.2%), slider (21.5%), changeup (11.2%), curveball (7.2%), sinker (6.9%), split finger (4.2%), and a cutter (0.8%).

Keuchel is 6-2 this season, going 86 1/3 while allowing 89 hits and striking out 53. In his last five starts against the Tigers, he’s gone 1-2 over 26 innings, allowing 30 hits and striking out 18.

Sunday will see Lucas Giolito vs. TBD. Giolito is 6-5 this season with a 3.84 ERA, striking out 111. In his last five against Detroit he’s gone 1-2, posting 3.62 ERA in 32 1⁄3 innings while allowing 24 hits and striking out 45.

Why we still hate them

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