The Detroit Tigers are heading into a crucial weekend series against the Oakland Athletics , hoping to turn things around after a tough series loss to the San Diego Padres. Despite a stunning ninth-inning grand slam by Parker Meadows in Thursday’s win, the Tigers fell short in two of the three games against the playoff-bound Padres.
Now, they face a different beast in the Oakland A’s, who find themselves firmly at the bottom of the standings. The A’s are 14 games behind the Houston Astros in the AL West and well out of playoff contention, while the Tigers sit nine and a half games behind the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central. With the wild card race still in play, Detroit needs a strong series to stay in the hunt.
Pitching Matchups: Tigers Hope to Dominate on the Mound
The Tigers will look to their pitching staff to carry the weight, starting with Tarik Skubal (16-4, 2.51 ERA) in Game 142. Skubal has been a force this season, posting an impressive 30.3% strikeout rate and a 2.61 FIP. He’ll face Mitch Spence (7-9, 4.50 ERA), whose numbers tell a different story, with a significantly lower strikeout rate and a higher walk percentage.