Yankees at Tigers (Game 1)
The Detroit Tigers finally began to generate some momentum with the bats in the late innings on Friday, only to have Saturday's game postponed. The Tigers will try to fight through the raindrops again when they host the New York Yankees in a split doubleheader on Sunday that is scheduled despite the threat of rain throughout the day.
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 with a pair of home runs - including an inside-the-park blast - 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. "If the weather is awful [Sunday], it's awful, and you could have a situation like today," Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters. "I think if it's like this, and it's raining all day, and that's the forecast, I'd like to think that it'll be called intelligently ahead of time. But we'll see." New York ace Luis Severino will take the mound in the opener opposed by Tigers lefty Francisco Liriano while Yankees righty Luis Cessa and Detroit left-hander Matthew Boyd square off in the nightcap.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, YES (New York), FS Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Luis Severino (2-1, 3.50 ERA) vs. Tigers LH Francisco Liriano (1-1, 2.13)
Severino was not at his best at Boston on Tuesday, when he was knocked around for five runs on eight hits and three walks in five innings as New York went on to lose 14-1. The Dominican Republic native was much better in his first two outings, holding the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays to a combined two runs and six hits in 13 innings. Severino is 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA in three career starts against Detroit, notching 21 strikeouts in 16 2/3 total innings.
Liriano was sharp in each of his first two outings, allowing one run 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 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.