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The Tigers will conclude their opening series of the season at 6:10 p.m. on Sunday. Lefthander Ryan Carpenter will make his big league debut against the Pirates, who were one of the worst teams in baseball against left-handed pitching in 2017.
Pittsburgh Pirates (1-0) at Detroit Tigers (0-1)
Time: 6:10 p.m.
Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
Forecast: 41 degrees and mostly cloudy
SB Nation blog: Bucs Dugout
Follow us: @BlessYouBoys, @BucsDugout
Media: Fox Sports Detroit, Tigers Radio Network, MLB.TV, MLB GameDay
Pitching Matchup: RHP Chad Kuhl (8-11, 4.35 ERA in 2017) vs. LHP Ryan Carpenter (10-9, 4.15 ERA in 2017)
Game 3 Pitching Matchup
| Pitcher | IP | K% | BB% | FIP | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pitcher | IP | K% | BB% | FIP | fWAR |
| Kuhl | 157.1 | 20.9 | 10.6 | 4.24 | 1.9 |
| Carpenter (AAA) | 156.0 | 24.4 | 5.9 | 4.22 | - |
Game 3 Lineups
| Tigers | Pirates |
|---|---|
| Tigers | Pirates |
| Dixon Machado - 2B | Josh Harrison - 2B |
| Jeimer Candelario - 3B | Jordy Mercer - SS |
| Miguel Cabrera - DH | Starling Marte - CF |
| Nicholas Castellanos - RF | Josh Bell - 1B |
| Niko Goodrum - 1B | Francisco Cervelli - DH |
| James McCann - C | David Freese - 3B |
| JaCoby Jones - CF | Gregory Polanco - RF |
| Jose Iglesias - SS | Sean Rodriguez - LF |
| Victor Reyes - LF | Elias Diaz - C |
| SP: Ryan Carpenter | SP: Chad Kuhl |
Game 2: Pirates 1, Tigers 0
The Tigers went six innings without a hit, and were unable to take advantage of five walks from Pirates starter Trevor Williams as they dropped the first game of their doubleheader. Williams threw more balls than strikes in an inefficient outing, but was able to generate enough ground balls for his defense to turn three double plays behind him. Fulmer gave up a run in the first before settling down afterward. He needed only 90 pitches to work eight strong innings.
Pregame
After their second postponement in three days, the Tigers will finally take the field for another baseball game on Sunday afternoon. Michael Fulmer will make his season debut for the Tigers in Game 1 of their doubleheader, followed by lefthander Ryan Carpenter’s MLB debut in the nightcap. The Tigers still have a chance to salvage a series win against the Pirates, who will be sending righthanders Trevor Williams and Chad Kuhl to the hill. Both starters faced the Tigers at PNC Park last August and came away winners.
Pittsburgh Pirates (1-0) at Detroit Tigers (0-1)
Time: 1:10 p.m.
Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
Forecast: 36 degrees and partly cloudy
SB Nation blog: Bucs Dugout
Follow us: @BlessYouBoys, @BucsDugout
Media: Fox Sports Detroit, Tigers Radio Network, MLB.TV, MLB GameDay
Pitching Matchup: RHP Trevor Williams (7-9, 4.07 ERA in 2017) vs. RHP Michael Fulmer(10-12, 3.83 ERA in 2017)
Game 2 Pitching Matchup
| Pitcher | IP | K% | BB% | FIP | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pitcher | IP | K% | BB% | FIP | fWAR |
| Williams | 150.1 | 18.2 | 8.1 | 4.03 | 2.2 |
| Fulmer | 164.2 | 16.9 | 5.9 | 3.67 | 3.5 |
Game 2 Lineups
| Tigers | Pirates |
|---|---|
| Tigers | Pirates |
| Leonys Martin - CF | Adam Frazier - DH |
| Jeimer Candelario - 3B | Josh Harrison - 2B |
| Miguel Cabrera - 1B | Gregory Polanco - RF |
| Nicholas Castellanos - RF | Josh Bell - 1B |
| Victor Martinez - DH | Corey Dickerson - LF |
| John Hicks - C | Starling Marte - CF |
| Mikie Mahtook - LF | Francisco Cervelli - C |
| Jose Iglesias - SS | Colin Moran - 3B |
| Dixon Machado - 2B | Jordy Mercer - SS |
| SP: Michael Fulmer | SP: Trevor Williams |
Gameday reading
- When should we host the 2018 BYB meet up?
- Controversial replay review overturns JaCoby Jones’ walk-off single
- 10 takeaways from Opening Day
- 3 key Tigers storylines for 2018
- 5 bold predictions for the Tigers 2018 season
- Podcast: Emily Waldon reports from spring training
- Curbed: The ultimate guide to Comerica Park
Up Next
The Tigers will host the Kansas City Royals starting on Monday. Francisco Liriano will likely make his Tigers debut in the series opener, followed by Matthew Boyd and Daniel Norris.