Armando Galarraga (3-2, 4.08) vs.
Kevin Slowey (4-1, 5.50), 8:10 p.m. EST
After basking in the glow of a weekend sweep in Cleveland, the first-place Tigers see if they can keep the winning train chugging along in Minneapolis. As we know painfully well, however, the Tigers have their troubles at the Metrodome. Last season was no exception, as they went 3-6.
Suddenly, Armando Galarraga has become the black sheep of the Detroit starting rotation. He's lost his last two starts, allowing 11 runs in 11 innings (sending his ERA from 1.85 to 4.08), along with five walks versus five strikeouts. (Toss in three home runs, as well.) However, Galarraga really only had that bad first inning in his last start, giving up five runs. In his remaining five innings, he only allowed one run and three hits, so maybe he figured something out.
The Twins might not really be the best team for Galarraga to face when he's struggling, though. Last year, Minnesota was the one team he couldn't beat. In five starts, he went 0-4 with a 5.46 ERA. That includes going 0-2 at the Metrodome.
Kevin Slowey, meanwhile, looks like the opposite of Edwin Jackson, with his 4-1 record, despite a 5.50 ERA. The Twins' lineup is scoring six runs a game for him. The one game in which they only scored run for Slowey, in his last outing, is the one which he lost. But he's giving up a lot of hits, more than eight per start, so the Tigers should get quite a few scoring chances tonight.
Twinkie Town has your SB Nation opposing view for this three-game series.