Detroit Tigers (48-28, first in the AL Central) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (41-34, second in the AL East)
Tampa, Florida; Friday, 7:05 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Tigers: Jack Flaherty (5-7, 4.03 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 90 strikeouts); Rays: Shane Baz (6-3, 4.54 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 71 strikeouts)
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Rays -112, Tigers -107; over/under is 8 1/2 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The Tampa Bay Rays host the Detroit Tigers on Friday to open a three-game series.
Tampa Bay has a 41-34 record overall and a 25-22 record at home. Rays hitters are batting a collective .253, which ranks third in the AL.
Detroit is 22-16 on the road and 48-28 overall. The Tigers have hit 91 total home runs to rank fifth in the AL.
The teams meet Friday for the first time this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Junior Caminero has 17 home runs, 19 walks and 48 RBIs while hitting .262 for the Rays. Yandy Diaz is 19 for 42 with two doubles, a triple, two home runs and eight RBIs over the past 10 games.
Spencer Torkelson is second on the Tigers with 32 extra base hits (16 doubles and 16 home runs). Javier Baez is 15 for 37 with two doubles, three home runs and five RBIs over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Rays: 6-4, .297 batting average, 3.50 ERA, outscored opponents by 17 runs
Tigers: 6-4, .264 batting average, 4.40 ERA, outscored by one run
INJURIES: Rays: Manuel Rodriguez: 15-Day IL (forearm), Jonny Deluca: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Ha-Seong Kim: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Hunter Bigge: 15-Day IL (lat), Shane McClanahan: 60-Day IL (tricep), Richie Palacios: 10-Day IL (knee), Alex Faedo: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Nathan Lavender: 60-Day IL (elbow)
Tigers: Jackson Jobe: 60-Day IL (flexor), Jason Foley: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Alex Cobb: 60-Day IL (hip), Matt Vierling: 10-Day IL (shoulder), Reese Olson: 15-Day IL (finger), Ty Madden: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Jose Urquidy: 60-Day IL (elbow), Alex Lange: 60-Day IL (lat)
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
The Associated Press
