Detroit Tigers lineup vs. Chicago White Sox: No Javier Báez for game 2 of series

Detroit Tigers (23-26) vs. Chicago White Sox (22-31)

When: 1:10 p.m. Saturday.

Where: Comerica Park in Detroit.

TV: Bally Sports Detroit.

Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1 in Detroit; Tigers radio affiliates).

Starting pitchers: Tigers RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-2, 4.08 ERA) vs. White Sox TBD.

• Box score

Tigers lineup:

RF Zach McKinstry
CF Riley Greene
1B Spencer Torkelson
C Eric Haase
DH Nick Maton
LF Akil Baddoo
3B Jonathan Schoop
Andy Ibáñez
Zack Short

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Game notes: Tigers fans should be excused if Friday night’s first inning felt a little familiar. White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson opened the game with a single off Joey Wentz; it was Anderson’s 138th career hit against the Tigers, in 425 plate appearances (or roughly 80% of a full season). He then added three more singles — one each in the sixth, eighth and ninth innings — to reach 141. Only two other players — the super Tiger-killers — have as many hits against the Tigers over the past decade (dating back to the start of the 2014 season, though Anderson didn’t debut until 2016): José Ramírez, with 149; and José Abreu, with 202. (Thankfully for the Tigers, Abreu is no longer in the AL Central.)

Anderson entered Friday with a career .346/.384/.515 slash line against the Tigers, though you could argue the 29-year-old has been aided by luck more than most: Of the 29 players over that span with at least 250 plate appearances against the Tigers, no one has a higher batting average on balls in play (BABIP) than Anderson’s .410. In fact, none of the other 28 are even close, with Abreu No. 2 at .375. For comparison, the majors, as a whole, have a .302 BABIP against the Tigers since the start of the 2014 season.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, they don’t really have an equivalent ChiSox-killer; there are just three active Tigers with even 100 plate appearances against the Southsiders. There’s Miguel Cabrera, who has 121 hits in 501 plate appearances (including going 0-for-3 with a walk on Friday); Jonathan Schoop, who has 42 hits in 165 plate appearances; and Eric Haase, who has 26 hits in 109 plate appearanes. Haase, at least, has provided some power — of those 26 hits, 12 were for extra bases (six homers, six doubles in 32 games).

After today’s matinee, the Tigers and White Sox wrap up their four-game series with a 1:40 p.m. start Sunday. After that, the Tigers stick with their daywalker lifestyle, opening a three-game set against the Texas Rangers on Monday at 1:10 p.m., thanks to Memorial Day. The White Sox, meanwhile, will head home to host the Los Angeles Angels in a Monday night game.

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