The Detroit Tigers (86-70) take on the Chicago White Sox (72-84) Tuesday night at 7:08 PM ET at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. David Price will go for the Tigers, as he will face Scott Carroll, who has struggled this season, for the White Sox.
Price faced off against the White sox, a member of the Tampa Bay Rays at the time, on April 27 and they beat him up for eight runs (six earned) on nine hits over six innings. Before that, he had notched a 1.74 ERA against the club he faces tonight.
Lately, Price has been very inconsistent in his last five starts. With the division lead over the Kansas City Royals at one game, he needs to be on top of his game because these last few games of the season mean a lot.
"We're hoping that with the importance of the next couple of starts that he has, that the adrenaline helps and he's like he was earlier," said manager Brad Ausmus, whose team has dropped four of six and assured itself of starting a division series on the road should it win the Central.
"Just execute pitches. That's what it boils down to," Price told MLB.com. "It doesn't matter how good your stuff is, you've got to go out and execute, and if you do that, you put yourself in a chance to be successful."
Carroll will take the mound for the White Sox who are already eliminated and are just playing for a top draft selection. Carroll is 5-10 with a 5.01 ERA. In his last outing against Detroit he gave up seven runs (three earned) on 10 hits over only five innings. He lost that game 7-6 at home.
His struggles have only continued. The rookie is 1-4 with a 6.68 over his last six starts. If he can turn it around tonight, that would be huge for himself and the White Sox. Tigers' first baseman Miguel Cabrera is 1-for-12 over his last three games against Carroll.
The Detroit Tigers have a two game losing streak and are 41-34 at home this season. The Chicago White Sox have a two game winning streak along with a 33-46 away record. As of now, the Tigers will face the Baltimore Orioles in the first series of the playoffs.