The Detroit Tigers ended May in a most miserable fashion, falling to the Chicago White Sox on the road, 2-1, to complete the sweep while finishing the month with just six wins in 28 tries. I have nothing further to say on the matter.
On Monday, the team heads to Florida to take on the best team in the American League — the Tampa Bay Rays — in a three-game weekday series to open up June. The Rays have actually struggled of late, losing five of their last seven, including a three-game sweep by the Orioles
in Baltimore. However, they did take two of three from the Los Angeles Angels at home last weekend.
It looks like the Tigers will start with a bullpen game in the opener, as right-hander Ty Madden is slated to make his fourth appearance and first start. It will only be the second start of the 26-year-old’s career and first-ever appearance against Tampa Bay.
He will be up against fellow righty Griffin Jax, who will be making his seventh start in a total of 18 appearances this season. All of them have come over his last six outings, in which the 31-year-old has posted a 1.71 ERA and 3.21 FIP over 21 innings, allowing 17 hits (one home run) and eight walks while striking out 17 batters; he has reached the five-inning mark twice while throwing under three frames in three games over that stretch.
Jax faced Detroit twice last season — both one-inning relief efforts — allowing just one run on three hits and no walks while striking out six in those two appearances.
Take a look at how the two relievers-turned-starters match up on Monday.
Detroit Tigers (22-38) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (36-20)
Time (ET): 6:40 p.m.
Place: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida
SB Nation Site: DRaysBay
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 61: RHP Ty Madden (0-0, 2.38 ERA) vs. RHP Griffin Jax (1-3, 3.60 ERA)
MADDEN
JAX
