Tigers at Rangers
The Detroit Tigers were expected to be sellers at Wednesday's trade deadline and did not disappoint, sending away their leading hitter and closer as the rebuild accelerated. The Texas Rangers, who host the Tigers in the opener of a three-game series Friday, are fading out of the wild card race but avoided a full sell off while tinkering around the edges of the roster.
Detroit sent right fielder Nick Castellanos, who leads the team with 110 hits, to the Chicago Cubs just in front of Wednesday's deadline and parted ways with All-Star closer Shane Greene, sending him to the Atlanta Braves earlier in the day. The Tigers (32-72) own the worst record in the majors but held onto coveted left-hander Matthew Boyd and fellow lefty Daniel Norris, who tossed five scoreless innings in a 9-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday afternoon. The Rangers were in the wild card hunt until dropping 12 of the last 16 games and sent reliever Chris Martin to the Braves on Tuesday but held onto All-Star left-hander Mike Minor. Texas will send another veteran that made it through the trade deadline without changing cities to the mound Friday when right-hander Lance Lynn goes up against Tigers lefty Tyler Alexander.
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, FS Southwest (Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers LH Tyler Alexander (0-1, 3.86 ERA) vs. Rangers RH Lance Lynn (13-6, 3.83)
Alexander is looking for his first major league win in his fourth start and followed up a pair of solid outings in his first two turns with a loss at Seattle on Saturday. The 25-year-old was reached for four runs on eight hits and a walk in 4 1/3 innings by the Mariners but struck out a season-high nine. Alexander was 4-9 with a 5.72 ERA at Triple-A Toledo before being recalled.
Lynn broke out of a two-start slump at Oakland last Friday, when he held the Athletics to two runs (one earned) and four hits while striking out eight over six innings. The 32-year-old was reached for a total of nine runs and 15 hits - three homers - in 13 innings over his previous two outings. Lynn last faced Detroit as a member of the New York Yankees on Sept. 2, when he was ripped for six runs and nine hits in 3 2/3 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Rangers sent a pair of minor leaguers to the Chicago White Sox on Thursday in exchange for injured RHP Nate Jones and international bonus pool
money.
2. Detroit 3B Jeimer Candelario is 4-for-31 over his last eight games.
3. Texas is expected to designate INF Asdrubal Cabrera and C Tim Federowicz for assignment and recall C Jose Trevino and INF Isiah Kiner-Falefa prior to Friday's contest.