White Sox at Tigers
The Detroit Tigers have dropped back-to-back extra-inning games and five in a row overall, a painful slide they'll try to end when they begin a four-game series with the visiting Chicago White Sox on Thursday. After falling 4-3 in 10 innings in a series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, the Tigers lost a 3-2 affair - also in 10 frames - on Wednesday to sink below .500 for the first time since April 1.
Detroit was homerless for the 11th time in its last 16 games to remain stuck on seven for the year, six fewer than any other team in the majors. The White Sox are in the middle of the pack in that category but it was their latest - a two-run blast by shortstop Tim Anderson on Wednesday in Kansas City - that led to a bench-clearing incident with the Royals. "I'm going to continue to be me and keep having fun," Anderson, who celebrated the homer with an emphatic toss of the bat and was struck by a pitch his next time up. "Our fans, they pay their hard earned money to come to the ballpark to see a show so why don't I give them one." Chicago eventually lost the contest in 10 innings to see its three-game winning streak come to an end.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), FS Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox RH Ivan Nova (0-2, 5.28 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Tyson Ross (1-2, 3.50)
Nova bounced back from a rocky outing against Seattle on April 7 to spin six outstanding frames in a hard-luck loss at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, allowing a run and four hits with five strikeouts. He has yielded two runs in 13 innings through his first two road starts of 2019 but has a 7.33 ERA in his career at Comerica Park. The 32-year-old is winless in seven prior starts against the Tigers while giving up 59 hits in 43 2/3 innings.
Ross gave up four runs and five hits with four walks across six innings of a loss at Minnesota his last time out. He has issued nine free passes in 18 innings on the season while holding opponents to a .222 average. The University of California product is 3-0 with a 3.51 ERA in his career against the White Sox.
WALK-OFFS
1. Anderson was 1-for-2 on Wednesday to raise his American League-leading average to .424.
2. Tigers LHP Matt Moore is expected to miss the rest of the season following right knee surgery.
3. White Sox 3B Yoan Moncada left Wednesday's loss after being hit in the head with a throw while stealing a base, but he tested negative for a concussion.