If there’s any good news for the Detroit Tigers, it’s in who they’re not playing on Monday.
After suffering their 20th straight loss to Cleveland on Sunday, the Tigers begin a four-game series in Chicago against the White Sox — a team against whom Detroit has had some success, including this season.
The Tigers took the first game of their home series against Chicago at Comerica Park on Aug. 10, before the White Sox rallied for victories in the next two games. The Tigers enter Monday’s game at Guaranteed Rate Field on a five-game losing streak.
Left-hander Matthew Boyd (0-2, 10.24 ERA) will look to snap the skid for Detroit as he goes for his first victory of the season. Boyd has not pitched more than five innings in any of his four starts in 2020 and is coming off a loss to the White Sox last Wednesday afternoon.
Chicago reached Boyd for seven runs on seven hits, including a pair of home runs, in 4 2/3 innings. The outing continued a troubling career trend for Boyd, who is 4-7 with a 5.08 ERA in 15 starts against the White Sox.
His most recent start against Chicago began particularly ominously, with Boyd surrendering back-to-back home runs to Tim Anderson and Eloy Jimenez leading off the game.
“I promise everybody out there, including my team, I will be better from this,” Boyd told reporters after the game. “I’m going to continue to work. I’m not giving up on anything. What you’re seeing is a product of just understanding what my game is, what has brought me success and who I am as a pitcher.
“It’s not sitting there, throwing darts at the wall (and) and seeing what works. It’s very guided, very methodical. We know how we’re going about this.”
Jimenez was part of another Chicago power surge on Sunday, serving as the fourth leg of a relay of back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs against St. Louis Cardinals reliever Roel Ramirez in a 7-2 victory.
The left fielder has hit four homers in his past five games.
Chicago, which has lost 8 of 11 at home, will aim to start a winning streak behind left-hander Gio Gonzalez (0-1, 6.61). Gonzalez came within one out of notching his first victory as a member of the White Sox on Tuesday after limiting the Tigers to two runs in 4 2/3 innings.
Should the White Sox require bullpen help again, there certainly is no shortage of rolling relievers for manager Rick Renteria to choose from.
Since the start of last season, Jimmy Cordero has allowed one of 33 inherited runners to score, while Matt Foster (10 2/3) and Ross Detwiler (11 1/3) extended their respective season-opening scoreless innings streaks Sunday.
Tigers shortstop Niko Goodrum left Sunday’s game after four innings with upper back tightness. Detroit bench coach Lloyd McClendon, who finished the game after manager Ron Gardenhire was ejected, said the maneuver was a precaution and didn’t offer further updates.
–Field Level Media
