Tigers at White Sox
The Detroit Tigers opened their nine-game road trip in promising fashion, sweeping a doubleheader from the Boston Red Sox, but the good vibes quickly were doused by the defending World Series champions. After getting outscored 18-7 in back-to-back losses, the Tigers will return to division play when they open a three-game set at the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.
Although Detroit has lost eight of 12 following a strong start to the season, it took two of three at home last weekend from the White Sox. Nicholas Castellanos, who was 4-for-12 against Chicago, belted a two-run shot in Thursday's 7-3 loss to Boston -- his first of the season and the major league-low 14th for the Tigers. The White Sox have dropped five of seven but the one bright in the struggling starting rotation, left-hander Carlos Rodon, will be on the mound for the opener of a 10-game homestand. “We expected better from the beginning of the season with the guys we had, but obviously that hasn’t been the case,” manager Rick Renteria said of a unit that features three starters with ERAs north of seven
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, NBCS Chicago
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers LH Daniel Norris (1-0, 2.70 ERA) vs. White Sox LH Carlos Rodon (3-2, 2.89)
After making his first three appearances out of the bullpen, injuries forced Detroit to shift Norris to the starting rotation and he responded by striking out six and permitting two hits over five scoreless innings. He had a pair of rocky three-inning outings in which he was tagged for four runs on nine hits, including three homers. Norris improved to 2-0 record with a 2.05 ERA in six appearances (four starts) against the White Sox and has limited their current roster to a collective .151 batting average.
Rodon rebounded from his first start with a pair of stellar outings on the road, holding the New York Yankees to two runs on three hits over six innings before shackling the Tigers last weekend with six innings of one-run ball on three hits. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 draft, he has permitted three hits or fewer in four of his five trips to the mound. Cabrera is 4-for-9 with a homer against Rodon, who is 2-2 with a 5.10 ERA versus Detroit with a staggering .476 batting average against.
WALK-OFFS
1. White Sox 1B Jose Abreu is 9-for-22 with nine RBIs during a five-game hitting streak.
2. Tigers 3B Jeimer Candelario is 5-for-14 with four runs scored during a three-game hitting streak.
3. White Sox RH Lucas Giolito (hamstring) is expected to throw a bullpen session Friday.