DETROIT TIGERS (51-54) vs. KANSAS CITY ROYALS (62-42)
RHP Justin Verlander (1-3, 4.86) vs. LHP Danny Duffy (4-5, 4.28)
Tuesday, August 4, 2015 at 7:08 p.m.
Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
RECENT RESULTS: The Tigers closed their 10-game road trip on a winning note with a 6-1 victory at Baltimore on Sunday afternoon at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. J.D. Martinez hit his 29th home run of the season and went 2×4 with three RBI, while Anthony Gose, Jose Iglesias and Ian Kinsler each had two hits in the win. Daniel Norris started and earned the win in his Detroit debut, allowing one run on four hits with one walk and five strikeouts in 7.1 innings. The Tigers begin a six-game homestand tonight as they open a three-game series vs. the Kansas City Royals. Following the series vs. Kansas City, the homestand continues with three games vs. Boston.
MATT BOYD TO START WEDNESDAY: The Tigers announced today that lefthanded pitcher Matt Boyd will start Wednesday’s game vs. Kansas City. In 19 starts in the minor leagues this season, Boyd has compiled a 9-2 record with a 1.65 ERA (114.2IP/21ER) and 108 strikeouts. A corresponding roster move will be announced following tonight’s game.
IMPRESSIVE TIGERS DEBUT BY NORRIS: Daniel Norris made his Tigers debut on Sunday at Baltimore and earned the win, allowing one run on four hits with one walk and five strikeouts in a career-best 7.1 innings. The win for Norris was the second of his major league career and his first since April 9, 2015 at New York.
J.D. POWER: J.D. Martinez hit his 29th home run of the season on Sunday, blasting a three-run shot off Ubaldo Jimenez in the first inning. Martinez’s 29 home runs are a single-season career high and are tied for the fourth most in the American League. Over his last 43 games, Martinez has hit 19 homers and driven in 44 runs. Martinez enters tonight’s game with a home run every 13.52 at bats, which ranks fifth in the American League. Martinez finished the series at Baltimore with eight RBI. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the eight RBI are the most by a Tigers player in one series at Baltimore since 1986, when Kirk Gibson had nine RBI in a three-game set at Memorial Stadium.
KINSLER PILING UP THE MULTI-HIT GAMES: Ian Kinsler recorded his fourth straight multi-hit game on Sunday, going 2×3 with a run scored and a RBI. The performance was Kinsler’s ninth multi-hit game in his last 14 contests and his 40th multi-hit game of the season, which ranks second in the American League. During the four-game series at Baltimore, Kinsler hit .706 (12×17) with four runs scored, two doubles and three RBI. Over his last 14 games, Kinsler is hitting .443 (27×61) with 12 runs scored, six doubles, one triple, two home runs and eight RBI.
WHAT A RELIEF: Alex Wilson threw a scoreless inning of relief on Sunday at Baltimore. Wilson has not allowed an earned run in 10 straight outings and in 20 of his last 24 appearances dating back to June 9. Over his last 24 outings, Wilson has a 1.59 ERA (28.1IP/5ER). For the season, Wilson ranks ninth among American League relievers with a 1.86 ERA (53.1IP/11ER).
KINSLER’S KIDS: The Kinsler family hosts 90 guests in partnership with The Birthday Party Project, which brings joy to homeless children through the magic of birthdays. During the summer months, The Birthday Party Project will celebrate its monthly birthday parties at Comerica Park with all the bells and whistles. All guests are treated to a Detroit Tigers game, receive ballpark fare dinner, a cupcake and a Kinsler’s Kids t-shirt. The children celebrating their birthdays that month also receive a personalized authentic Detroit Tigers jersey and an autographed photo signed by Ian Kinsler. The children and families are selected by The Birthday Party Project in conjunction with Coalition on Temporary Shelter (COTS).
TIGERS PARTICIPATING IN “PLAY BALL” MONTH: The Tigers are joining Major League Baseball in celebrating August as the inaugural “PLAY BALL Month.” A joint initiative between MLB and USA Baseball, Play Ball is baseball’s largest effort to grow the game of baseball and softball at the most basic levels, in addition to the traditional organized style of play. The new initiative highlights the variety of ways the game can be played, including playing catch, stickball and participating in special events like “Pitch, Hit & Run.” Visit PlayBall.org for more information on the PLAY BALL initiative, which encourages widespread participation in all forms of baseball activities among all age groups, especially youth.
TONIGHT’S TIDBITS
- The national anthem will be performed by Concordia University Choir.
- The ceremonial first pitch will be thrown by Army Veteran and Tigers Fan, Peter Louisell.
TIGERS AT A GLANCE
Record: 51-54 / Streak: W1
Game #106 / Home #53
Home: 25-27 / Road 26-27
TIGERS VS. ROYALS
2015 Record: 3-4
2015 at Home: 1-2
2015 at Kansas City: 2-2
All-Time Record: 318-315
All-Time at Home: 167-151
All-Time at Comerica Park: 75-64
All-Time at Kansas City: 151-164
2015 GAME LOG
| Date | Site | Result | Winner/Loser/Save |
| 4/30 | KC | L, 8-1 | Duffy/Simon |
| 5/1 | KC | L, 4-1 | Young/Lobstein/Davis |
| 5/2 | KC | W, 2-1 | PRICE/Volquez |
| 5/3 | KC | W, 6-4 | Sanchez/Guthrie/Soria |
| 5/8 | DET | W, 6-5 | Soria/Pino |
| 5/9 | DET | L, 6-2 | Guthrie/Sanchez |
| 5/10 | DET | L, 2-1 (10) | Fraser/Nesbitt/Holland |
| 8/4 | DET | ||
| 8/5 | DET | ||
| 8/6 | DET | ||
| 8/10 | KC | ||
| 8/11 | KC | ||
| 8/12 | KC | ||
| 9/1 | KC | ||
| 9/2 | KC | ||
| 9/3 | KC | ||
| 9/18 | DET | ||
| 9/19 | DET | ||
| 9/20 | DET |
STREAKS
Last five games: 3-2
Last 10 games: 4-6
Last 15 games: 6-9
Last 20 games: 7-13
This content was originally published on August 4, 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.
