Rangers at Tigers
The Texas Rangers are putting some unexpected pressure on the first-place Houston Astros in the American League West. The Rangers will try to keep the heat on when they begin a six-game road trip Tuesday with the first of three contests at the Detroit Tigers.
Texas capped a 4-3 homestand with a 7-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, staying within 6 1/2 games of the star-studded Astros, who led by as many as 10 games earlier this month and seemed primed to run away with a third consecutive division crown. Danny Santana and Tim Federowicz both homered in Sunday's win as the Rangers moved to 28-15 at home. They will try to improve upon a 14-21 mark on the road behind veteran right-hander Jesse Chavez, who opposes Jordan Zimmermann for the struggling Tigers. Detroit dropped its fourth straight and its eighth in the last nine games with an 8-3 defeat at Cleveland on Sunday.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Texas), FS Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Jesse Chavez (2-2, 3.18 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Jordan Zimmermann (0-4, 6.03)
Chavez will be making his fifth start of the year six days after pitching five solid innings of relief against Cleveland. He has tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings as a starter this year and is 2-1 with a miniscule 0.58 ERA in all roles since the beginning of May. The 35-year-old has been hammered in his career at Comerica Park, giving up 19 runs on 30 hits in just 18 innings.
Zimmermann returned from nearly two months on the injured list to toss four innings at Pittsburgh on Wednesday, surrendering three runs. After opening the season allowing one run in 13 2/3 total frames over his first two outings, he has gone 0-4 with a 9.58 ERA in five starts. The Wisconsin native, who has a 6.07 ERA in 40 career games at Comerica Park, is 1-1 with a 2.25 mark in two career matchups with the Rangers.
WALK-OFFS
1. Tigers DH Miguel Cabrera needs two RBIs to tie Sammy Sosa (1,667) for 30th on baseball's all-time list.
2. Rangers RF Nomar Mazara went 6-for-12 with three home runs and six RBIs in the three-game series with the White Sox.
3. Texas has won the season series each of the last four years.