Tampa Bay Rays (7-8) vs Detroit Tigers (8-5)
Rays Pregame:
If you’ve missed any of the Rays first eight home games – you’re missing winning baseball. On Wednesday evening, the Rays hope to continue to improve on their hot home start. Chris Archer (2-0, 2.21) will take the hill for the Rays. He’ll be facing Jordan Zimmerman (1-1, 5.06) on the mound for Detroit.
Kevin Cash praised the early start for his ace and referenced probably Archer’s best attribute.
“I’ve loved his demeanor on the mound.” Cash said before the game Wednesday. “He’s had multiple situations out there where things could have gone the other way and bothered him and he’s not allowed that to affect him. He’s a very emotional pitcher. You don’t want to take the emotion out of him. It’s probably what makes him good.”
Archer got the only win on the last road trip for the Rays in Boston. It was his first career win at Fenway Park and first over the Red Sox since September 2012. Since he was called up for good on June 13, 2013, Archer’s 125 starts are 2nd in MLB, just one shy of his former teammate, James Shields.
#Rays and #Tigers lineups tonight. pic.twitter.com/rssEXGDG8i
— The Scrum Sports (@TheScrumSports) April 19, 2017
Tigers Pregame:
Detroit comes in sitting in first place in the AL Central, a game up on the Chicago White Sox. The Tigers had won six in a row against the Rays before last night’s 5-1 loss. They owned the Rays in 2016 to the tune of a 6-1 record against Tampa Bay.
The Tigers have set a club-record hitting a home run in each of it’s first 13 games in 2017. It’s also the longest streak in MLB since the Cleveland Indians did it back in 2002.
Milestone Alert!
1B Miguel Cabrera needs one home run to reach 450 in his career. He would tie Jeff Bagwell and Vlad Guerrero for 38th all-time.
