Nationals at Tigers
Washington ace Max Scherzer makes his first start at Comerica Park since he left Detroit to sign with the Nationals prior to the 2015 season when he pitches in the finale of a three-game series Sunday against the host Tigers. Scherzer won the first of his three Cy Young Awards during five seasons with Detroit, going 82-35 in that time frame and helping the Tigers to four straight playoff appearances, but no World Series crowns.
"That honestly feels like one of my biggest regrets," Scherzer told reporters of his Detroit teams falling short of winning it all. "That we weren't able to deliver a World Series championship here." Scherzer will be trying to pitch his team to a series win after the teams split the first two games of the interleague set, with the Tigers snapping an eight-game slide with Saturday's 7-5 victory. Miguel Cabrera had three RBIs and scored the go-ahead run in the seventh as Detroit handed the Nationals just their third loss in the last 12 games. The Tigers turn to one-time Washington hurler Jordan Zimmermann on Sunday as they try to snap a string of eight consecutive series losses at home.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, MASN (Washington), FS Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Max Scherzer (7-5, 2.52 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Jordan Zimmermann (0-5, 5.95)
Scherzer has won all five of his June starts while allowing just four runs in 37 innings. He has 54 strikeouts and five walks during the dominant run and leads the National League with 156 strikeouts. The six-time All-Star is 46-13 with a 3.32 ERA in 77 career starts in Comerica Park.
Zimmerman was Scherzer's teammate in Washington in 2015 before signing with Detroit, where he has failed to duplicate his success as a National. He is winless in 12 straight starts dating to last season after giving up three runs and a season-high nine hits over five innings of a loss to Texas on Tuesday. Matt Adams is 5-for-9 with two home runs and a double against the 33-year-old Zimmermann, who lost opposite Scherzer in 2016 at Washington despite giving up three runs in seven innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Saturday's win was the third in the last 24 games at home for the Tigers.
2. Detroit signed RHP Trevor Rosenthal, who was released by Washington last Sunday, to a minor league contract.
3. Nationals SS Trea Turner is 0-for-9 with four strikeouts in the series after entering it with a seven-game hitting streak.