The Detroit Tigers (22-22) travel to face off against the Arizona Diamondbacks (21-24) on Saturday, May 18th. This game will be played at Chase Field in Phoenix and televised on BSDET. The Tigers are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Diamondbacks are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Tigers. First pitch is set for 8:10 ET.
Tigers vs Diamondbacks
Detroit cruised to a 13-0 win over the Diamondbacks in the most recent game of this series. The Tigers had a huge 5th inning, scoring six of their thirteen runs. As for the Diamondbacks, they had their best chance to score in the 7th, but could only muster two hits and left nine runners on base.
Tarik Skubal started for the Tigers and picked up the win, going six innings and not giving up a run. He finished the game with six strikeouts but issued five walks. On the other side, Ryne Nelson got the start for the Diamondbacks and took the loss, giving up eight earned runs in just four innings of work.
At the plate, the Tigers were led by Colt Keith and Javier Baez, who each had three hits and combined for seven RBIs. Keith also scored three times and stole two bases. Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene each drove in two for Detroit’s offense.
Detroit is at an even 22-22 overall record, and they are 4th in the AL Central, 5.5 games behind the Guardians for the division lead. So far, they have gone 10-6 in AL Central games. The Tigers are looking to pick up a win today, having gone just 4-6 over their last 10 games.
At home, the Tigers are 10-13 this year, and they have gone 12-9 on the road. As the underdog, overall, the Tigers are 10-12 this year, which includes having lost two straight as the underdog. Detroit’s overall series record is 6-6-2, and they have dropped four straight series.
The Tigers have been a solid run line bet on the road this season, going 14-7, including a current four-game win streak. Overall, they are 20-24 vs. the run line, with an average run margin of 0.3 runs per game. They have been a good run line bet as the underdog, going 15-7 vs. the run line, but have struggled as the favorite, going just 5-17.
The Detroit Tigers have played in 25 games this season with over/under lines higher than 7.5 runs, and in those games, the over has hit 16 times. Their games have averaged 7.9 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 21-21 on the year. Today’s over/under line is set at 7.5 runs, which is slightly below their season average.
Jack Flaherty Gets The Start For The Tigers
Right-hander Jack Flaherty gets the start for the Tigers today as he faces the Diamondbacks on the road. He has made eight starts this year and has a record of 0-3 with an ERA of 3.88. Flaherty’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.05. In his last outing, he gave up three earned runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings of work. Flaherty has taken the loss in each of his last two outings. One positive note is that he has made six quality starts this year. Flaherty’s ERA at home is 4.33, compared to 3.68 on the road.
Tigers Offense Breakdown
Heading into today’s game, the Tigers are averaging 4.1 runs per game, which is 20th in the league. They have been a better offensive team on the road, averaging 4.6 runs per game. Detroit’s offense is batting just .230 for the season and has the league’s 15th ranked home run total. As a team, they are 22nd in slugging percentage and 20th in on-base percentage.
Riley Greene and Mark Canha have been the Tigers’ top power threats this season, with Greene’s nine homers leading the team and Canha coming in with six. Carpenter leads the team with 22 RBIs and is batting .276 for the season. Over his last five games, Carpenter is 6/19 with two homers and seven RBIs. Colt Keith has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 7/17 in his last five games.
Arizona is 3rd in the NL West, trailing the Dodgers by eight games. Overall, they are 21-24 and are 8-9 against other teams in the NL West. The Diamondbacks will be hosting the Tigers today with an overall series record of 5-8-1.
The Diamondbacks are coming off a series win over the Rockies but dropped the first game of this series vs. the Tigers. So far, they are 11-12 at home compared to 10-12 on the road. This season, they have been the favorite in 20 games, going 11-9 as the favorite.
When the Diamondbacks win, they tend to win big, with an average margin of victory of 4.6 runs. However, when they lose, it’s usually by a close margin, with an average margin of defeat of -3.9 runs. As a result, their overall run line record is just below .500 at 21-24. They have been a better bet on the road, going 12-10 against the run line, compared to 9-14 at home.
Arizona’s over/under record for the season is 19-24, and the average over/under line for their games is 9 runs. However, when the line is set at 7.5 runs, they have gone 2-4. In 37 games this season, the over/under line has been set higher than 7.5 runs, which is 82.2% of their games. Their games have had an average of 9.5 runs per game this season.
Zac Gallen Gets The Start For The Diamondbacks
Zac Gallen will be looking to build off his last outing, where he gave up just two earned runs in six innings of work. In that outing, he only gave up four hits and issued two walks. Gallen finished with four strikeouts in the outing. Overall, he has made eight starts and is 5-2 with a 2.86 ERA. Opposing batters are hitting .212 off Gallen this season. Out of his eight starts, Gallen has turned in four quality starts and is averaging 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings. At home, he is 3-0 with a 0.60 ERA.
Diamondbacks Offense Breakdown
Arizona’s offense has been solid so far this season, averaging 4.8 runs per game, which is 6th in the league. They have been even better on the road, also averaging 4.8 runs per contest. As a team, the Diamondbacks are batting .242, which is 11th in the league, and have the 6th fewest strikeouts in the MLB.
Christian Walker and Ketel Marte have been the team’s top power threats so far this season, with Walker leading the team with eight homers and Marte right behind him at nine. Walker has also driven in a team-high 28 runs and is batting .259. Marte is hitting .288 and is currently on a 16-game hitting streak. Over his last five games, Marte has gone 5/21 with one homer.
Tigers vs Diamondbacks Prediction
For this Tigers vs. Diamondbacks matchup, we see the Diamondbacks coming away with a 5-4 win. Given that they are at -149 on the money line, this is the route we recommend going. Our projections have the Diamondbacks finishing with 8 hits compared to the Tigers with nine.
Starting pitcher Zac Gallen is projected to finish with five strikeouts. As for the Tigers starter, Jack Flaherty, he is projected to finish with six. Flaherty has the lowest projected earned runs allowed among starters today, and his team is projected to finish with 19th in the league in runs.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:May 18, 2024 Diamondbacks, Tigers