The Detroit Tigers continue their six-game road trip following a three-game sweep of the lowly Chicago White Sox over the holiday weekend. The offense showed up at Guaranteed Rate Field, with the Motor City Kitties outscoring their opponents 17-4.
What’s good for the pythag is good for the gander.
The Tigers are still well out of contention — even in the miserable American League Central division — sitting 8.5 games behind the surging first-place Minnesota Twins and 11 games under the .500 mark. The Cleveland Guardians stand between Minny and Detroit, but they are still a full six games back and six games under .500.
Next up are the New York Yankees, who welcome AJ Hinch’s squad to the Bronx for a trio of midweek games. The pinstripers are mired in one of their worst seasons since the 1980s and are currently in the cellar of the AL East, a whopping 18 games behind the first-place Baltimore Orioles and a game under .500.
Take a look below at the three sets of starting pitchers for the next few days in New York as the two teams play a rematch of last month’s matchup. Conveniently, all three games have the same start time.
Detroit Tigers (63-74) at New York Yankees (68-69)
Times (EDT): Tuesday: 7:05 p.m.; Wednesday: 7:05 p.m.; Thursday: 7:05 p.m.
Place: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
SB Nation Site: Pinstripe Alley
Media: Bally Sports Detroit, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 138 Pitching Matchup
| Player | IP | K% | BB% | FIP | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | IP | K% | BB% | FIP | fWAR |
| Faedo | 57.0 | 20.6 | 7.3 | 5.03 | 0.3 |
| Cole | 174.0 | 27.1 | 6.5 | 3.49 | 3.6 |
Game 138: RHP Alex Faedo (2-5, 4.89 ERA) vs. RHP Gerrit Cole (12-4, 2.95 ERA)
Faedo missed the Yankees when they were in town and his most recent appearance came out of the bullpen. In Detroit’s 10-0 win over the ChiSox, the 27-year-old tossed a clean inning with a strikeout to seal the deal on that game. Otherwise, he had a strong August, putting up a 3.54 ERA (but a 5.62 FIP) over five games stretching across 20 1⁄3 innings, striking out 17 but surrendering four home runs and hitting a batter.
Cole’s start against the Tigers — also his most recent outing — was a solid one. The 32-year-old tossed six frames of two-run ball on four hits (two solo home runs) and two walks while striking out seven to earn the win. For the month of August, the right-hander put up a 4.06 ERA and 4.40 FIP over six games and 37 2⁄3 innings, surrendering seven dingers while striking out 39.
Game 139 Pitching Matchup
| Player | IP | K% | BB% | FIP | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | IP | K% | BB% | FIP | fWAR |
| Manning | 77.0 | 15.8 | 6.4 | 4.82 | 0.6 |
| Schmidt | 134.1 | 22.7 | 6.5 | 4.27 | 1.8 |
Game 139: RHP Matt Manning (5-4, 3.62 ERA) vs. RHP Clarke Schmidt (8-8, 4.56 ERA)
Manning earned the lone win in the Tigers’ previous series against New York in his best effort since the tandem no-hitter back in early July. The 25-year-old threw six scoreless innings allowing two hits and two walks while striking out four. In four games since getting shelled by the Tampa Bay Rays, the right-hander has given up just one earned run in his last 23 2⁄3 innings.
Schmidt took the loss for the Bronx Bombers that day opposite of Manning. The 27-year-old lasted just 4 2⁄3 innings after surrendering three runs on six hits (one home run) and three walks while striking out seven Tigers. For the month of August, the right-hander posted a 5.16 ERA (but a 3.83 FIP) over 29 2⁄3 innings pitched stretching across six games.
Game 140 Pitching Matchup
| Player | IP | K% | BB% | FIP | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | IP | K% | BB% | FIP | fWAR |
| Rodriguez | 124.1 | 24.4 | 6.5 | 3.30 | 3.1 |
| Rodon | 42.2 | 20.0 | 11.4 | 6.64 | -0.4 |
Game 140: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (10-7, 3.11 ERA) vs. LHP Carlos Rodón (2-4, 5.70 ERA)
Rodriguez also missed NY while they were in town, instead starting the 4-2 win over the White Sox to open the month of September. In that game, the 30-year-old hurled 6 2⁄3 frames of one-run ball on six hits and two walks while striking out seven. Detroit’s ace has continued to perform well down the stretch despite an injury hiccup that caused him to miss June.
Rodón has regressed precipitously this season following two straight summers in which he earned an All-Star nod as well as Cy Young votes. The 30-year-old’s traditional and peripheral numbers all look bad, especially his 2.3 home runs per nine innings. Additionally, he led the majors in strikeouts per nine last season (12.0) but has fallen to just 7.8 per in 2023. In his most recent outing against the Houston Astros, he claimed his second win thanks to five frames of two-run ball.
Series Outlook: Sweet, sweet Yankee tears
As mentioned above, this is one of the worst Yankees squads seen in a while — though make no mistake, there is still some serious talent on the roster. Nonetheless, the Tigers will be seeking revenge for a four-game series loss on their own turf at the end of August and will also be looking to keep their perfect September going. And if for nothing more, Detroit fans want to see the sweet, sweet tears of Yankees fans after their defeat.