Guardians, Tigers Both Bounce Back Ahead of Their Series Showdown
After a rain-soaked start to the week in Minnesota, the Cleveland Guardians managed to split their brief two-game set with the Twins. Monday’s game was halted by rain and finished Tuesday, while the second game was completely rained out. Cleveland dropped the resumed opener 6-5 but responded with a solid 5-1 win on Wednesday, thanks to a strong outing from right-hander Gavin Williams.
Veteran designated hitter Carlos Santana played a big role in that win, launching his sixth home run of the season—a solo shot—and also chipped in with a single, a walk, and two runs scored. Outfielder Steven Kwan had a three-hit game, including two doubles, while third baseman José Ramírez went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers were on the road in St. Louis this week, where they also turned things around. After losing Monday’s interleague opener, the Tigers bounced back with back-to-back wins to take the series from the Cardinals. Like Cleveland, Detroit also won 5-1 on Wednesday. They cashed in as slight underdogs at +105, and the total stayed under 9 runs.
Detroit’s offense came mostly from the middle of the lineup. First baseman Spencer Torkelson had a perfect night at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a double, two walks, an RBI, and a run. Catcher Dillon Dingler also contributed, finishing 2-for-4 with an RBI. The Tigers have been hot lately, going 7-2 in their last nine games and winning three straight series dating back to May 12. The Under has hit in three of their last five games.
Pitching Matchup Preview: Guardians at Tigers
Cleveland sends Tanner Bibee (3-4, 4.06 ERA) to the mound for his 10th start of the season. Bibee has a 1.29 WHIP with 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last start, he gave up four earned runs over six innings in a loss to the Reds. On the road this year, Bibee has struggled a bit, going 2-3 with a 6.49 ERA in five starts. Against the Tigers in 2024, he’s 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA over four outings.
Detroit will counter with Jack Flaherty (2-5, 4.44 ERA), also making his 10th start. He has a solid 1.22 WHIP and an impressive 11.0 K/9 rate. Flaherty’s last outing was a win over the Blue Jays, where he gave up two earned runs over 5 2/3 innings. At home this season, Flaherty has posted a 3.60 ERA across four starts. He’s been especially sharp against Cleveland, going 2-1 with a 1.07 ERA in four matchups this season.
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