The Detroit Tigers have gotten their offense in gear in Arizona and will go for a three-game series sweep of the Diamondbacks in Phoenix on Sunday afternoon.
The Tigers were shut out in consecutive games by the Miami Marlins before they hit the road for a six-game road trip. However, the change of scenery has done wonders. The Tigers have won the first two games in Phoenix by scores of 13-0 and 8-3.
Javier Baez has seven hits, including four doubles, to go with six RBIs and three runs in the first two games. His average is above .200 for the first time since Opening Day at .207.
“It feels great to do that,” Baez said in a postgame TV interview.
Wenceel Perez had four RBIs on Saturday, three of them coming on a bases-clearing triple in the seventh that broke a 2-2 tie. The Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte extended his hitting streak to 17 games with an RBI triple on Saturday.
Left-hander Jordan Montgomery (2-2, 4.76 ERA) will make his sixth start of the season for the Diamondbacks on Sunday. In his most recent outing, Montgomery gave up three runs on seven hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings in a 6-5 win against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday. He didn’t figure into the decision.
Montgomery, a late free agent addition on a one-year, $25 million contract signed just days before the season started, added seven strikeouts.
The Reds saw a new twist from Montgomery. He threw a few sliders for the first time in years, he told ArizonaSports.com.
“I threw four to lefties (Monday), trying to sprinkle it in there to give a little different look,” Montgomery said. “I haven’t thrown a slider since 2017, I’d say. …. It’s still a work in progress. But it’s good to get it out in the game.”
Montgomery is still looking to regain the form he showed the past three seasons, when his WHIP was below 1.20. It sits at 1.41 entering Sunday’s game.
“I was maybe executing some more four-seamers in and I’ve been really focusing on curveball spin,” he said of his most recent start. “So, I’m just trying to throw it a little harder and get it back to what it was last year. Hopefully, it’s close.”
He’s 1-1 with a 2.96 ERA in four career starts against Detroit.
Right-hander Matt Manning (0-1, 4.37) will be Montgomery’s mound opponent. Manning was recalled from Triple-A Toledo on Monday when Kenta Maeda was placed on the 15-day injured list with a viral infection, and that night, he gave up three runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings against the Miami Marlins. He struck out five and walked one.
The Tigers won 6-5, but Manning did not get a decision.
Manning’s previous starts this season came during doubleheaders, called up as an extra pitcher.
He clearly is glad he wasn’t dispatched back to Toledo after his start Monday and that he gets to stick around a while longer to work on his game and show what he can do.
“You can’t take any day in the big leagues for granted and I’m glad we got the win,” Manning said. “I’m looking forward to getting on a good schedule — that’s what I’m really looking forward to. And I’m looking to get more consistency as I get more reps.”
He’ll be facing Arizona for the first time in his career.
The Tigers will continue the road swing with three games in Kansas City, beginning on Monday night, before returning home to face the Toronto Blue Jays. The Diamondbacks head to Los Angeles, where they’ll play three games against the Dodgers in a National League West division clash.
–Field Level Media
