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DETROIT TIGERS (11-4) vs. NEW YORK YANKEES (8-7)

RHP Anibal Sanchez (1-2, 7.71) vs. RHP Masahiro Tanaka (2-1, 3.94)
Thursday, April 23, 2015 at 1:08 p.m.
Comerica Park, Detroit, MI

RECENT RESULTS: The Tigers lost their second consecutive game with a 13-4 loss to the Yankees on Wednesday night at Comerica Park. Yoenis Cespedes had a pair of hits and a RBI for the Tigers offense, while Alex Avila, Nick Castellanos and J.D. Martinez each contributed a RBI in the loss. David Price started for the Tigers and took his first loss of the season after allowing either runs on 10 hits with three walks and two strikeouts in 2.1 innings. The Tigers and Yankees conclude their four-game series this afternoon. Following today’s game, the Tigers close their 10- game homestand this weekend with a three-game set vs. Cleveland.

BACK-TO-BACK L’S: The Tigers’ loss to the Yankees last night marked the first time this season that Detroit has lost back-to-back games. It marks the latest point in the season that the Tigers have suffered their first consecutive losses since the 2007 team suffered back-to-back losses in games 15 and 16.

SANCHEZ SET FOR 200TH CAREER APPEARANCE: Today’s start for Anibal Sanchez marks the 200th appearance of his major league career. In his first 199 outings, Sanchez has a 71-66 record with a 3.59 ERA (1193.1IP/476ER) and 1,054 strikeouts.

BACK TO THE CENTRAL TOMORROW: The Tigers return to play against the American League Central Division tomorrow as they open a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians. The three-game set with the Indians begins a stretch where the Tigers will play 19 consecutive games against teams from the AL Central. The Tigers are 8-1 against AL Central opponents so far this season.

STREAKING: Rajai Davis extended his hitting streak to seven games with a pinch hit single in the eighth inning. During the seven-game hitting streak, Davis is hitting .320 (8×25) with three runs scored, one double, one home run and four RBI. Davis’ seven-game hitting streak ranks as tied for the fourth-longest active hitting streak in the American League.

BREAKING BARRIERS ESSAY CONTEST: “Breaking Barriers: In Sports, In Life” is a national literacy and character education program in partnership with Scholastic. The program uses baseball-themed activities to provide students of diverse backgrounds in grades four through eight with strategies to deal with barriers and challenges in their lives, while at the same time conveying the significance of Jackie Robinson’s breaking Baseball’s color barrier in 1947. A major component of the program is a national essay contest in which students write about overcoming these obstacles using the values demonstrated by Jackie Robinson: commitment, citizenship, courage, determination, excellence, justice, persistence, teamwork, and integrity. This year one of the 10 national winners is a Michigan resident, Debra Moraitis, an 8th grade student from West Hills Middle School in Bloomfield Hills. Debra and her class will meet with Sharon Robinson, daughter of Jackie Robinson and a Tigers player in a special pregame presentation where Debra will be recognized for her excellent essay. Debra is also recognized in a pregame ceremony on the field of Comerica Park with Sharon Robinson and a Tigers player. Debra along with her teacher and class enjoy the afternoon Tigers game courtesy of the Detroit Tigers.

TODAY’S TIDBITS

• The ceremonial first pitch will be thrown out by TUDOR United SportsCar Championship driver Dane Cameron from Buford, Georgia. The 26-year-old drives the No. 21 Action Express Racing/ Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Corvette DP in the TUDOR Championship Prototype Class. Cameron will return to Detroit May 29-31 as he will compete in the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix. Fans can purchase tickets for the Grand Prix at DetroitGP.com.
• Also throwing out ceremonial first pitches is Detroit Tigers fan Maurice Allen and a representative from Belle Tire.
• The national anthem will be performed by the Bay City Western High School Select Choir.

AQUAFINA SCHOOL INCENTIVE DAYS: During six select games this season the Detroit Tigers Foundation and Aquafina will host over 10,000 students from area schools to reward and thank students as part of the annual Detroit Tigers School Incentive and Reward Program. For more than 60 years the Tigers organization has hosted members of school safety patrol squads and more recently, rewarded students for maintaining perfect attendance for a marking period. On April 23 as part of the school incentive program, 1,000 backpacks will be given away to students, courtesy of Aquafina.

TIGERS AT A GLANCE

Record: 11-4 / Streak: L2
Game #16 / Home #10
Home: 6-3 / Road 5-1

TIGERS VS. YANKEES

2015 Record: 1-2
2015 at Home: 1-2
2015 at New York: 0-0
All-Time Record: 938-1,058-9
All-Time at Home: 521-481-5
All-Time at Comerica Park: 33-30
All-Time at New York: 417-577-4

2015 GAME LOG

STREAKS

Last five games: 2-3
Last 10 games: 6-4
Last 15 games: 11-4
Last 20 games: 11-4

This content was originally published on April 23, 2015. It was delivered electronically to specific media contacts and the entire Detroit Tigers front office staff, as well as being available to media in the press box and distributed to fans at program stands around Comerica Park.