The Detroit Tigers dropped the third game of their four-game weekend series against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on Saturday, 3-1, ending any chance of the team finishing at the .500 mark this season. Jackson Jobe earned a quality start for his effort, but the offense failed to play their part, resulting in the disappointing road loss.
Getting the start in the final game of the series is right-hander Troy Melton, who has faded a bit late this season after a summer that saw him post a sub-2.00
ERA for a healthy portion of the campaign. However, over the 25-year-old’s last five outings, he has posted a 5.81 ERA and 5.75 FIP over 26 1/3 innings of work — but that stretch did also include a seven-inning quality start in which he gave up three runs to the Tampa Bay Rays in Detroit, but still took the loss.
Melton has seen the ChiSox thrice this season and has not allowed more than one earned run in any of those games. Collectively, the former fourth-round pick put up a 1.56 ERA and a 3.86 FIP over 17 1/3 frames against the White Sox, with one personal win while his team lost the other two.
For the White Sox, fellow righty Davis Martin will climb the hill for Sunday’s finale looking to continue his strong September showing. Over his last three starts stretching across 16 innings, the 29-year-old has put up a microscopic 1.13 ERA but a much less impressive 4.97 FIP on 13 hits (two home runs) and four walks while striking out just four; his team lost all three of those games, while he earned an L as well.
Martin faced the Tigers once before this season, on June 21, when he threw six innings of one-run ball on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts for a no-decision in a 10-inning, 5-4 road loss.
Below is a look at how the two starters match up in the series finale on Sunday afternoon.
Detroit Tigers (73-82) vs. Chicago White Sox (79-76)
Time (ET): 2:10 p.m.
Place: Rate Field, Chicago, Illinois
SB Nation Site: South Side Sox
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 156: RHP Troy Melton (8-4, 2.52 ERA) vs. RHP Davis Martin (9-7, 3.96 ERA)
MELTON
MARTIN
