Tigers at Phillies
The Detroit Tigers answered striking out a majors high-tying 20 times in a nine-inning game by striking a blow with just enough offense in their last contest. The Tigers look to complete a sweep of their two-game interleague series with the Phillies on Wednesday in Philadelphia.
Miguel Cabrera had an RBI single in Tuesday's 3-1 win to finish April with a flourish, boosting his average to .282 after beginning the season in a 3-for-25 rut. Niko Goodrum belted a two-run homer after being mired in a 1-for-16 hole that saw his average plummet from .279 to .238. While Detroit snapped a four-game skid in which it surrendered 34 runs, the Phillies mustered just four hits in the teams' first meeting in Philadelphia since 2007. Andrew McCutchen scored the Phillies' lone run in the first inning, giving him five in his last three games after failing to score in his previous six.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, NBCS Philadelphia
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers LH Daniel Norris (1-0, 3.93 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Aaron Nola (2-0, 5.68)
Norris answered a strong first start to the season with a tough second one on Friday, countering a two-hit effort over five scoreless innings versus the Chicago White Sox on April 21 with four runs on 10 hits against the same team five days later. The 26-year-old is still trying to find his velocity after undergoing groin surgery last year. Norris has yet to face the Phillies, although he is 1-for-6 in his career against Jean Segura and has struck out McCutchen in both at-bats.
Nola has turned the page after a tough three-start stretch in which he allowed 16 runs by permitting just four in his last two outings, including one in 6 2/3 innings of a no-decision against Miami on Thursday. The 25-year-old kept the ball in the park after serving up multiple homers in three of his previous four trips to the mound. Nola, who won his lone start versus Detroit despite surrendering four runs in six innings, has retired Cabrera and Nicholas Castellanos on all three of their respective at-bats against him.
WALK-OFFS
1. Philadelphia RF Bryce Harper is 3-for-28 with 12 strikeouts in his last nine games.
2. Castellanos has two homers, four RBIs and five runs scored during his five-game hitting streak.
3. Phillies 3B Maikel Franco is 3-for-18 in his last five games.