Detroit Tigers Analysis

Game 55 preview: Tigers at Orioles

Rick Porcello takes on Orioles uber-prospect Kevin Gausman in the series finale. The Tigers' offense showed signs of life with five home runs in Saturday's blowout win. Can they take advantage of Gausman, who is making his third career start?

By Al Beaton Jun 2, 2013, 12:50pm EDT

Detroit Tigers (30-24) at Baltimore Orioles (31-25)

Time/Place: 1:35 p.m. ET, Camden Yards

Media: Fox Sports Detroit, Tigers Radio Network

Opposing blog: Camden Chat

Pitching matchup: Rick Porcello (2-2, 5.29 ERA) vs. Kevin Gausman (0-2, 11.00 ERA)

Note: This is a much shorter than usual preview due to time constraints!

The Tigers' rotation has been excellent over the past nine games, posting a quality start in eight with a 2.47 ERA. Yet the starters have just a 4-2 record to show for their efforts, and even worse, the Tigers have gone a mere 4-5.

Rick Porcello, hoping to continue the Tigers' streak of solid starting pitching. is coming off the best start of his career. Porcello shut out the Pirates over eight innings, striking out a career high 11, only to be rewarded with a no-decision. In his last six starts since the supposedly career ending disaster in Anaheim, Porcello is 2-0, 3.32, while the Tigers are 4-2 in those starts.

Rookie Kevin Gausman is going through a rude introduction to the big leagues. The fourth overall selection in the 2012 amateur draft, Gausman's first career start was a loss against the Blue Jays on May 23, pitching five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits. The 22 year old right-hander's second start was far worse, getting rocked by the Nationals on Tuesday. Gausman was yanked after four innings in a 9-3 defeat, giving up seven runs and eight hits, including three home runs.

Outlook:

The Tigers put a miserable couple of games behind them with a 10-3 victory on Saturday, much in thanks to an offensive explosion featuring five home runs. After struggling for most of the week, which included getting shut out twice, the Tigers have scored 15 runs in the first two games of the series.

Facing his most powerful offense yet, the fire-balling Gausman will have his work cut out for him. Porcello should be the recipient of some decent run support ... more than he received against the Pirates, to say the very least.

Prediction:

Miguel Cabrera leads the Tigers to victory, reaching another career milestone in the process. Cabrera goes yard against Gausman to pass Bill Freehan on the Tigers' career home run list.