Following a second straight postponement, the Detroit Tigers will play two games against the visiting Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday as they seek to extend a three-game winning streak.
The opener of a three-game series against Cleveland was postponed on Monday due to a forecast of cold temperatures and heavy winds. The second game of the series had been scheduled for Tuesday night at 6:40 p.m. ET. The teams will instead play a straight doubleheader beginning at 1:10 p.m.
Matthew Boyd had been scheduled to start the Tigers’ series finale against San Francisco on Sunday but that game was also postponed after a long weather delay.
Boyd (0-1, 4.00 ERA) will now start one of Tuesday’s games. He gave up two runs in 4 2/3 innings to Boston in his last outing. He’s 4-7 with a 3.98 ERA in 16 career outings (14 starts) against Cleveland.
Eduardo Rodriguez (0-2, 4.50 ERA) will start the other game for Detroit and make his first home start this season. He’s pitched on the road three times this season, including a sharp performance in Toronto on Wednesday. He limited the Blue Jays to one run on seven hits in six innings but still wound up with a no-decision.
Rodriguez is 2-0 with a 4.05 ERA in four career starts against the Guardians, all of which occurred when he pitched for Boston.
Detroit shortstop Javy Baez will aim to build off his improved at-bats during the Giants series. Baez was benched in Toronto on Thursday for a baserunning mistake. He responded by reaching base six times in two games against San Francisco, though he’s still hitting just .184 with no home runs.
“I know what I can do. They can say stuff out there that I don’t control,” Baez said of his critics. “That’s them. It’s easy to go on social media and crush on me or anybody that’s struggling. It’s not easy to do it here. … Like I said, I know who I am and what I can do. I’m going to keep doing me and hopefully play better.”
Cleveland will start two rookies in the doubleheader.
Hunter Gaddis (0-1, 8.53 ERA) is still seeking his first career victory. He’s made five starts over the past two seasons, including three this season.
In his last outing, Gaddis was pummeled for eight runs and eight hits in three-plus innings by the New York Yankees.
In the nightcap, Peyton Battenfield will be making his second career start and first on the road. He debuted against the Yankees on Wednesday, giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits in 4 2/3 innings. He didn’t issue a walk while recording three strikeouts.
He was called up from Triple-A Columbus when Aaron Civale landed on the injured list with an oblique strain.
“I wasn’t as nervous walking in as I thought I’d be,” Battenfield said. “I thought I was going to be shaking my legs a little bit. It was a blast.”
Battenfield doesn’t throw hard by MLB standards, but he located his pitches effectively against the Yankees.
“He used his cutter very well, and he started mixing some curveballs, which really helped,” manager Terry Francona said.
Thanks to the new MLB scheduling format, the Guardians won’t return to Detroit after Wednesday’s series finale until the last weekend of the season. Division foes now face each other 13 times after previously playing each other 19 times.
–Field Level Media
