Yankees at Tigers
The Detroit Tigers dropped their fifth straight game on Friday, but the way they hit in the last few innings should give the team some positive momentum going into the weekend. The Tigers will try to keep the bats going and even the series when they host the New York Yankees in the second of a three-game series on Saturday.
Detroit managed five runs while being swept in a four-game series at Cleveland earlier this week and scored one through six innings in the return home on Friday before finally pushing five runs across in the last three innings. New York still walked away with an 8-6 victory and watched Aaron Hicks pick up a slumping middle of the order. Hicks homered twice - once inside-the-park - and drove in three runs while Giancarlo Stanton, Didi Gregorius and Gary Sanchez combined to go 1-for-13 out of the three, four and five spots in the order. Those three will take their cuts on Saturday against left-hander Francisco Liriano, while the emerging Detroit attack will face off against right-hander Luis Cessa of the Yankees.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, YES (New York), FS Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Luis Cessa (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Tigers LH Francisco Liriano (1-1, 2.13)
Cessa is making a spot start in place of left-hander CC Sabathia (hip), who is expected to return next week. The 25-year-old Cessa threw a perfect inning of relief in each of his two appearances out of the bullpen while recording a total of three strikeouts. Cessa is 2-7 with a 4.54 ERA in 14 career starts and made his major-league debut against Detroit on April 8, 2016, when he surrendered one run in two innings of relief.
Liriano was sharp in each of his first two outings, allowing one runs in 6 2/3 innings against Kansas City on April 2 and surrendering two runs on three hits in six frames Monday at Cleveland. The veteran from the Dominican Republic got the win against the Royals but came out on the wrong end of a 2-0 decision against the Indians. Liriano won his lone start against New York last season and is 4-4 with a 3.34 ERA in 12 career games - 10 starts - against the Yankees.
WALK-OFFS
1. Yankees RF Aaron Judge hit safely in each of the last 11 games.
2. Tigers SS Jose Iglesias singled and doubled in his last two at-bats on Friday, matching his hit total from his previous 10 games.
3. Detroit 3B Jeimer Candelario hit his first homer of the season in the series opener.