Detroit Tigers’ 2022 schedule: Predicting all 162 games this season

In year one — 2020 — we thought we had it easy: Just 60 games to predict. What could go wrong? Well, we won’t say everything, but we couldn’t even get the number of games right: The Tigers’ schedule was shortened to 58 games, thanks to a COVID-19 breakout in the St. Louis Cardinals’ clubhouse. Before that, though, we had the Tigers going 20-40; they ended up at 23-35 despite a swoon in which the offense pretty much took September off.

In year two — 2021 — we thought the rebuild would take some time to get going in manager AJ Hinch’s first season. We were right about that over the first few weeks, as the Tigers opened with an MLB-worst 8-22 record — a 43-119 pace that, admittedly, was well off our predicted 69-93 pace. And then the Tigers got hot and won 69 of their final 132 games to finish at 77-85.

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To be fair, we weren’t the only ones picking the Tigers to finish with fewer than 70 wins. But they outperformed that in their crawl from the cellar, and just like they’re learning to win, so are we … at getting projections right. (You get it.) This year … this year, with all the new outfielders and pitchers and hope … this year, we’re sure we’ve gotten it right. And if we’re wrong? Well, the Tigers have outperformed our guessesrigorous calculations two years in a row; not to spoil the end here, but if they do it a third time, the playoffs may be involved.

Is it scientific? Heck no. Is it accurate? Maybe? Is it fun? Always!

Let’s check out how the 2022 Tigers will fare in each of their series this season:

April 8-10: Chicago White Sox

The ChiSox will send Lucas Giolito — who struck out 201 in 178⅔ innings last season while posting a 3.53 ERA — to the mound for Opening Day for the third straight year, but after him, their rotation drops off quickly; ace Lance Lynn is out for 6-8 weeks, and All-Star Carlos Rodon is now a San Francisco Giant.

Series: 2-1. Overall: 2-1.

April 11-13: Boston Red Sox

Speaking of rotations, left-hander Chris Sale is still on the injured list for the BoSox (as is James Paxton, who underwent Tommy John surgery last April). But 42-year-old Michigan alumnus Rich Hill — who was wearing Maize and Blue at the same time as Tom Brady — is back in Boston after posting a 3.86 ERA and 150 strikeouts in 158 2/3 innings with the Rays and Mets. (We’re not saying he’s another injury risk, but last year’s inning total was the second-most of his career.)

Series: 1-2. Overall: 3-3.

April 14-17: at Kansas City Royals

The last time Zack Greinke started Opening Day for the Royals, he was a 26-year-old coming off a Cy Young season and the Royals were coming off six straight seasons with a losing record. He’s back in K.C. on a one-year deal this season after a 4.16 ERA with the Astros in an injury-plagued 2021. (The Royals, meanwhile, haven’t had a winning record for six seasons; some things don’t change that much.)

Series: 3-1. Overall: 6-4.

[ MLB predictions 2022: Here’s your division winners, World Series champ ]

April 19-21: New York Yankees

Gleyber Torres, who hit 42 doubles and 62 homers over his first two seasons combined (2018-19) appears to be the odd man out in the Yanks’ infield, which added three-time All-Star Anthony Rizzo (at the trade deadline, then re-signed in free agency) at first; former American League MVP Josh Donaldson at third and 2020 Gold Glove winner Isiah Kiner-Falefa at short via trade with the Twins. Kudos to the Yankees for embracing a small-market mindset once again.

Series: 1-2. Overall: 7-6.

April 22-24: Colorado Rockies

First baseman C.J. Cron, who delivered the .530 slugging percentage in 2021 that the Tigers signed him for in 2020, is back for another stint, and shortstop Jose Iglesias is on his fifth team in four seasons since departing the Tigers. But the big move was signing Kris Bryant, who will get paid $27 million in 2027, the same season the Rockies will be paying Nolan Arenado $10 million to play third for the Cardinals.

Series: 3-0. Overall: 10-6.

April 26-28: at Minnesota Twins

Carlos Correa in a Twins uniform is like the result of a monkey’s-paw wish from Tigers fans who said they wanted to see him dominate the AL Central. In 69 games in the five Central parks, Correa has hit .294 with 16 homers and a .524 slugging percentage. Here’s hoping he fills up on Jucy Lucys first.

Series: 1-2. Overall: 11-8.

April 29-May 1: at Los Angeles Dodgers

It might take until the third day of the season, but the Dodgers will be able to send four former MVPs onto the field this season: Cody Bellinger, Mookie Betts, Clayton Kershaw (now the Dodgers’ No. 3 starter) — and first baseman Freddie Freeman, who slashed .300/.393/.503 at age 31.

Series: 0-3. Overall: 11-11.

May 3-4: Pittsburgh Pirates

On Opening Day, the Bucs will turn to right-hander JT Brubaker, who is definitely a real major-leaguer, and not a rule-breaking detective from an ’80s cop show. (The Akron alumnus struck out 129 in 124 1/3 innings with the Pirates in 2021, albeit with a 5.36 ERA. But he kept the Squirrel Hill streets free of punk kids.)

Series: 2-0. Overall: 13-11.

May 5-8: at Houston Astros

Will last year’s return to the World Series mute the “cheaters” taunts and trash can jokes this season? Probably not. The Astros’ mini-dynasty — five straight trips to at least the ALCS and three World Series appearances — is thinning out, but Justin Verlander is back after missing essentially all of the 2020-21 seasons with Tommy John surgery. So far, so good; J.V. made four spring starts, striking out 15 and walking four over 13⅔ innings.

Series: 2-2. Overall: 15-13.

May 9-12: Oakland Athletics

Nobody runs a fire sale like the A’s, who have already shipped out 3B Matt Chapman (3.5 WAR in 2021, according to baseball-reference.com), 1B Matt Olson (5.8 WAR), RHP Chris Bassitt (3.9 WAR) and, just on Sunday, LHP Sean Manaea (3.2 WAR). Right-hander Frankie Montas, though, is still in green and gold after putting up a 3.37 ERA with 207 strikeouts and 57 walks in 187 innings. Just don’t ask for how long. (Also, this five-game series will feature one game with the A’s as the home team at Comerica Park, thanks to the rescheduling of the first week of the season.)

Series: 4-1. Overall: 19-14.

May 13-15: Baltimore Orioles

You could do worse than having Trey Mancini (21 homers in his return from cancer last season), John Means (a no-hitter in May) and Cedric Mullins (30 homers) on your roster. Not worse than the O’s, of course; they lost 110 games in 2021, for their third 100-loss campaign in as many 162-game seasons. But worse than somebody, sure.

Series: 3-0. Overall: 22-14.

May 16-18: at Tampa Bay Rays

Shortstop Wander Franco was the top prospect in baseball for two seasons, before he even turned 20. He made his debut in late June, at 20 years and 113 days, and delivered on the hype: Franco slashed .288/.347/.463 with stellar defense over 70 games en route to finishing third in AL Rookie of the Year voting. Oh, and he signed an 11-year, $182 million extension in November, meaning he’ll be mentioned in these type of season previews for a long while, or at least until the Rays deal him for a trio of unknown right-handed relievers (who will then combine for 13 scoreless innings in the postseason, of course).

Series: 0-3. Overall: 22-17.

May 20-22: at Cleveland Guardians

Finally, a new name for the franchise — and no more Chief Wahoo — on the shores of Lake Erie, but still the same rotation: Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale, Zach Plesac, Cal Quantrill and Triston McKenzie. How frustrating was it for the Tigers against the future Guardians last season? Cleveland pitchers posted a 4.46 ERA against the 18 other teams they faced — and a 3.37 ERA against the Tigers.

Series: 1-2. Overall: 23-19.

May 23-25: at Minnesota Twins

Noted Tiger-killer Nelson Cruz is no longer in town — the Twins shipped him to Tampa Bay last summer, and he signed with the Nationals over the offseason — but his legacy is getting the Opening Day start; righty Joe Ryan was part of the return from the Rays, who traded him while he was in Tokyo winning Olympic silver for Team USA. Promoted to the majors afterward, Ryan went 2-1 with a 4.05 ERA, 30 strikeouts and five walks over 26 2/3 innings in September.

Series: 1-2. Overall: 24-21.

May 26-29: Cleveland Guardians

Speaking of Tiger-killers, Franmil Reyes is still in Cleveland; no active player with at least 20 games against the Tigers has a higher OPS against them than Reyes’ 1.115 (.429 OBP, .686 SLG). Reyes continued his Tiger-crushing ways last season with four homers in 40 at-bats over 11 games.

Series: 3-1. Overall: 27-22.

May 30-June 2: Minnesota Twins

This behemoth of a five-game series was created when MLB moved half of the doubleheader scheduled for July 23 to a day slot on May 31. Expect to see a healthy dose of both Twins catchers, then: Ryan Jeffers, the nominal starter, hit .199 last season but had 14 homers in 85 games, while Gary Sanchez, acquired from the Yankees, hit .204 with 23 homers in 78 games.

Series: 3-2. Overall: 30-24.

June 3-5: at New York Yankees

In return for sending Sanchez and infielder Gio Urshela to the Twins, the Yanks got Isiah Kiner-Falefa — who has more last names (2) than days as a Twin (1) — and three-time All-Star Josh Donaldson. The 36-year-old Donaldson has a career .287/.398/.555 slash line against the Tigers, including 2021 when he went .340/.484/.720 with five homers and four doubles in 16 games.

Series: 1-2. Overall: 31-26.

June 7-8: at Pittsburgh Pirates

With just six weeks left to the All-Star break, the debate over who will rep the Bucs in L.A. will be hot and hea… hahahaha, no, it’ll be outfielder Bryan Reynolds, who had a .302/.390/.522 slash line and led the majors in triples in his 2021 All-Star campaign. At least, that’s assuming the Pirates, who are sporting a $36.8 million payroll — that’s one Miggy and some pocket change — haven’t traded him by the time the Tigers hit town.

Series: 2-0. Overall: 33-26.

June 10-12: Toronto Blue Jays

The Jays missed out on a playoff spot by a game despite having the AL Cy Young winner (ex-Tiger Robbie Ray) and the second- and third-place finishers in the AL MVP vote (Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Marcus Semien, respectively). Two of the three (Ray and Semien) departed via free agency during the offseason, but the Jays reloaded with Kevin Gausman, who had a 2.81 ERA with the Giants in 2021 and Matt Chapman, a three-time Gold Glove third baseman with two top-seven MVP finishes in his first five seasons. Also, this should be about the time the Maple Leafs are eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs again.

Series: 1-2. Overall: 34-28.

June 13-15: Chicago White Sox

The Tigers weren’t the only team wheeling and dealing in the final days of spring training; the ChiSox sent right-handed reliever Craig Kimbrel (who was himself acquired at last July’s trade deadline) to the Dodgers for outfielder AJ Pollock. The 34-year-old missed parts of June and September but still finished with a .297 average, 21 homers and 27 doubles in 117 games.

Series: 2-1. Overall: 36-29.

June 16-19: Texas Rangers

Everything’s bigger in (Arlington) Texas, and that apparently includes the free-agent budget. The winter after opening Globe Life Field (not to be confused with Globe Life Park, their previous home) to fans with a 102-loss season, the Rangers went out and dropped more than $560 million on free agents in November alone — including $325 million for shortstop Corey Seager, $175 million for second baseman Marcus Semien and $56 million for right-handed starter Jon Gray. They then searched the Globe Life couch cushions and found $5.2 million for a one-year deal for outfielder Kole Calhoun.

Series: 3-1. Overall: 39-30.

June 20-22: at Boston Red Sox

The BoSox were the final shopper at the Big Money Shortstop Store this offseason. Sure, they didn’t need one, with three-time All-Star Xander Bogaerts locked up through 2025 (though Bogaerts can opt out after 2022), but as the store started to close, they swept ex-Colorado Rockie Trevor Story into their basket for the low, low price of $140 million over six years. Story slots in at second base for the Sox, and hopefully he’ll learn to love Fenway Park; he’s a career .241/.310/.442 hitter outside of Denver, and just .222/.222/389 hitter at Fenway (albeit in only four games).

Series: 1-2. Overall: 40-32.

June 24-26: at Arizona Diamondbacks

The D’backs were the anti-Tigers, starting out 15-13 and then going 8-50 over a two-month stretch to go from two games out of the division lead to 30 ½ by early July. Their two best additions might have been pitching coach Brent Strom, who defected from the Astros and should boost Arizona’s rebuilding rotation behind Madison Bumgarner, and the expansion of the DH to the NL, giving them a spot for discarded Astros slugger Seth Beer, who could lead the team in homers.

Series: 3-0. Overall: 43-32.

June 28-29: at San Francisco Giants

The Giants won 107 games last season thanks to getting a career year from basically every veteran not named Buster Posey (whose career years have a slightly higher standard). Posey retired, but the Giants have rookie Joey Bart, who went second overall behind Casey Mize in the 2018 draft, to replace him.

Series: 0-2. Overall: 43-34.

July 1-3: Kansas City Royals

Assuming an on-time recovery by Riley Greene, this series should feature two of the top five picks from the 2019 draft. Bobby Witt Jr., son of 15-year MLB vet Bobby Witt Sr. (funny how that works) and the No. 1 prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, made the Royals’ Opening Day roster, the team announced Wednesday. Witt the Younger, who turns 22 in mid-June, hit .400 in 30 at-bats this spring, following a 2021 that saw him hit .290/.361/.576 in 124 Double- and Triple-A games (for those who like slightly larger sample sizes).

Series: 2-1. Overall: 45-35.

July 4-6: Cleveland Guardians

Shane Bieber, the 2020 Cy Young winner who logged just 96⅔ innings last season due to a shoulder injury costing him July and August, will start Opening Day for the third straight season, with the Guardians starting on the road in Kansas City. He won’t be the first Guardian to pitch in Cleveland, either. That honor falls to actor Tom Hanks, who’ll throw out the ceremonial first pitch for the renamed franchise at its home opener on April 15 against the Giants. (OK, OK, we know, Hanks isn’t really a member of the team. But Cleveland didn’t exactly shake up the roster; we’re running out of interesting players already.)

Series: 1-2. Overall: 46-37.

July 7-10: at Chicago White Sox

One of the biggest uncertainties in the ChiSox’s rotation is how Michael Kopech will fare in his return to starting. One of the centerpieces of the Sox’s Chris Sale trade in 2018, he missed all of 2019 with Tommy John surgery, opted out of 2020 and spent 2021 as an extended reliever, logging 69⅓ innings to varying effect — a 1.53 ERA in the first half and a 5.56 mark after. Of course, he might not make it back to the rotation anyway; manager Tony La Russa told the Chicago Sun-Times that Kopech could pitch in relief during the opening weekend: “We’re going to be very open-minded,” La Russa said. “It’s a very different first two months for a lot of reasons.”

Series: 2-2. Overall: 48-39.

July 11-13: at Kansas City Royals

Zack Greinke’s batterymate for Opening Day? That would be Salvador Perez, who somehow is only turning 32 this season. The Venezuelan star tied for the lead in home runs last season with 48, and broke Johnny Bench’s record for homers by a “primary catcher” — 75% of games in a season at catcher — of 45 in 1970. Only 33 of Perez’s dingers came in a game he caught, and only one of those was against the Tigers. (He homered twice as a DH against the Tigers, both off Tarik Skubal.)

Series: 2-1. Overall: 50-40.

July 15-17: at Cleveland Guardians

Will this be Jose Ramirez’s final series against the Tigers? Nope. The third baseman has 22 career homers against the Tigers, fifth-most among active players. The three-time All-Star and 2020 AL MVP runner-up, who slashed .266/.355/.538 last season, was entering the final year of his contract, but he and the Guardians reported agreed to a five-year extension on Wednesday. We’re sure Tigers pitchers are thrilledCleveland has a $13 million team option for next season — meaning the time to sell is before July 31 after extension talks reportedly broke down this week.

Series: 2-1. Overall: 52-41.

July 21: at Oakland Athletics

The second half begins with a doubleheader in Oakland to finish off the games originally scheduled for the second series of the year. Amidst the never-ending chaos in Oakland — blockbuster trades, a move to Vegas, a new stadium by the Bay — there is one contstant: Jed Lowrie, who is in the second year of his third stint with the A’s. (He hit .245/.318/.398 last season, so he’s not going anywhere, either.)

Series: 2-0. Overall: 54-41.

July 23-24: Minnesota Twins

The Twins gave Byron Buxton $100 million (spread over seven years) this offseason based on his numbers over his past 162 games: A .281 average with 41 homers 95 RBIs and 19 steals. Based on his injury history, it might take half that contract to get another 162 games.

Series: 0-2. Overall: 54-43.

July 25-27: San Diego Padres

There’s building a rotation through the draft, and then there’s what the Pads have done: All five members of their rotation — Joe Musgrove, Yu Darvish, Sean Manaea, Blake Snell and Mike Clevinger — were acquired by trade since the end of the 2020 season. It’s like watching a teenage sneakerhead discover Ebay.

Series: 2-1. Overall: 56-44

July 28-31: at Toronto Blue Jays

Not only was Vladimir Guerrero Jr. the first player in MLB history to hit 48 homers in a season before turning 23, he was just the fourth to hit 45 homers before 23. The others: Joe DiMaggio (46 in 1937), Eddie Mathews (47 in 1953) and Johnny Bench (45 in 1970). That’s … pretty good company.

Series: 1-3. Overall: 57-47

Aug. 1-3: at Minnesota Twins

The good news: The Twins added a pair of All-Star Game teammates to their rotation in righties Sonny Gray and Chris Archer. The bad news: That All-Star Game was in 2015, and they’ve posted a combined 4.18 ERA in 1,446⅔ innings since that season.

Series: 1-2. Overall: 58-49.

Aug. 4-7: Tampa Bay Rays (4 games)

There’s at least one familiar name tucked into the Rays’ rotation: two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber, who signed a one-year, $8 million prove-it deal. Is Kluber healthy? In two spring starts, he allowed five earned runs over 8⅓ innings. It’s a small sample size, but at this point, so is Kluber’s regular-season track record, with just 116⅔ innings over the past three seasons combined.

Series: 1-3. Overall: 59-52.

Aug. 9-11: Cleveland Guardians

Closer Emmanuel Clase, who finished fifth in AL Rookie of the Year voting last season, gave up two earned runs in his first appearance after the All-Star break, on July 16. Over his next 32 games, covering 32⅓ innings, he allowed one more, while striking out 33 and walking two.

Series: 1-2. Overall: 60-54.

Aug. 12-14: at Chicago White Sox

Left fielder Eloy Jimenez, coming off a Silver Slugger season in 2020, tore his left pectoral tendon in spring training last year, but returned by July 26. He slashed just .249/.303/.437 over 55 games after that. He’ll go a long way toward determining whether the ChiSox win back-to-back AL Central titles for the first time in franchise history. (Their only other back-to-back division titles came in 1993-94 with a switch from the AL West to the AL Central.)

Series: 1-2. Overall: 61-56.

Aug. 15-17: at Cleveland Guardians

It’s the last series of the year against the Guardians, meaning the Tigers will go another September without a win against their biggest rival in Ohio; it’s like watching Jim Harbaugh, but two months earlier.

Series: 1-2. Overall: 62-58.

Aug. 19-21: Los Angeles Angels

Last season was the first since 2011 not to see Mike Trout finish in the top five in AL MVP voting; he still slashed a ridiculous .333/.466/.624, but in only 36 games before a calf injury kept him out for the remainder of the year.

Series: 2-1. Overall: 64-59.

Aug. 23-24: San Francisco Giants

Continuing a theme: Ace Kevin Gausman left for the Blue Jays, but the Giants signed Carlos Rodon to replace him. Johnny Cueto just signed a minor-league deal with the White Sox, after the Giants turned to Alex Cobb to replace him. If every veteran Giant repeats his career year, well, we’ll know the Giants’ “Even Year Magic” really is a thing.

Series: 0-2. Overall: 64-61.

Aug. 26-28: at Texas Rangers

There are 11 players with the first name of “Spencer” in MLB history (according to baseball-reference.com); will we get a rare Spencer-on-Spencer matchup between the Tigers’ Spencer Torkelson and Rangers righty Spencer Howard?

Series: 2-1. Overall: 66-62.

Aug. 30-Sept. 1: Seattle Mariners

The Mariners just missed out on a playoff spot last year, then went out and added former All-Stars Adam Frazier, Eugenio Suarez and Jesse Winker, thanks to the Pirates’ and Reds’ rebuilding sales. But their most exciting addition is internal: Outfielder Julio Rodriguez made the Opening Day roster at 21 after hitting better than .400 in the spring and .347/.441/.560 in 74 High- and Double-A games last season.

Series: 2-1. Overall: 68-63.

Sept. 2-4: Kansas City Royals

Is Whit Merrifield the biggest non-rookie bargain in baseball? The 33-year-old led the AL in steals (40) and tied for the lead in doubles (42) last season; he’s set to make $2.75 million this season (with the potential for another $2 million in bonuses).

Series: 2-1. Overall: 70-64.

Sept. 5-7: at Los Angeles Angels

Who needs a DH? There are 13 active pitchers with at least 50 career plate appearances and a slugging percentage above .260 — and three of them are in the Angels’ rotation: Shohei Ohtani (the reigning AL MVP, who crushed 46 homers and 26 doubles in 639 plate appearances in 2021), Michael Lorenzen (.429 SLG in 147 career PAs) and Noah Syndegaard (.266 in 251 career PAs).

Series: 1-2. Overall: 71-66.

Sept. 9-11: at Kansas City Royals

Witt played the vast majority of his games at shortstop in the minors last season, but he’ll start this season at third base so that Adalberto Mondesi, who missed all but 35 games last season, can play short. (Mondesi led the majors in steals, with 24, in 2020 and had a .723 OPS last season.)

Series: 2-1. Overall: 73-67.

Sept. 12-14: Houston Astros

Taking over at shortstop for the ’Stros? That would be 24-year-old Jeremy Pena, a 2018 third-round pick out of the University of Maine  who hit .287/.346/.598 in 30 Triple-A games last season (albeit in his first action above High-A ball).

Series: 1-2. Overall: 74-69.

Sept. 16-18: Chicago White Sox

If you’re looking for a floor for expectations for Spencer Torkelson’s rookie season, Andrew Vaughn’s 2021 might be it: Vaughn, the No. 3 overall pick in 2019 out of Cal, hit .374/.539/.704 — video game numbers, basically — his final year at Cal then sputtered to a .235/.309/.396 line in 127 games last year with the ChiSox. That included a .772 OPS in the first half and a .638 OPS after the break.

Series: 1-2. Overall: 75-71.

Sept. 19-21: at Baltimore Orioles

Catcher Adley Rutschman, the No. 1 overall pick in 2019, may well be MLB-ready by September after the top prospect suffered a triceps strain suffered in February. If only we could say that for most of the rest of the Orioles’ roster.

Series: 3-0. Overall: 78-71.

Sept. 23-25: at Chicago White Sox

Even with their Kimbrel trade, the White Sox have an imposing back of the bullpen, with noted Astros-hater Joe Kelly and noted former Astro Kendall Graveman in line to get the game to closer Liam Hendriks (who has no known opinions on/ties to the Astros).

Series: 1-2. Overall: 79-73.

Sept. 27-29: Kansas City Royals

Carlos Santana — arguably the worst first baseman in the majors last year, with a .660 OPS that was 36 points worse than the next-worst 1B — is back at first; like a Tigers season preview writer, the Royals are apparently running out of ideas. But perhaps not for long; K.C. has 23-year-old Nick Pratto waiting in Triple-A Omaha. The 2017 first-rounder made a big jump last season, going from a .588 OPS in High-A in 2019 to a .988 OPS in 125 games in Double- and Triple-A in 2021.

Series: 2-1. Overall: 81-74.

Sept. 30-Oct. 2: Minnesota Twins

Speaking of infield prospects, the Twins likely will promote 23-year-old Jose Miranda, the organization’s No. 3 prospect (but not for Opening Day). The 2016 second-rounder was the franchise’s Minor League Player of the Year after hitting .344/.401/.572 in 127 games in Double- and Triple-A in 2021.

Series: 2-1. Overall: 83-75.

Oct. 3-5: at Seattle Mariners

Finally, the Tigers wrap up the season where they were supposed to start it. Hopes are high in Seattle, with an active offseason and prospects on the rise making the M’s a popular playoff pick, wild card or otherwise. There’s the weight of history looming in Seattle: No team in North American pro sports has a longer postseason drought than the Mariners’ 20 seasons. (Yes, Julio Rodriguez, their top prospect, wasn’t yet 1 when Ichiro Suzuki and Jamie Moyer led the M’s to their last playoff berth.) The drought is twice as long as the No. 2 MLB team, the Phillies at 10 seasons, and 13 seasons longer than No. 3 — the Tigers, at seven.

Series: 2-2. Overall: 85-77.

Contact Ryan Ford at rford@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @theford. Read more on the Detroit Tigers and sign up for our Tigers newsletter.