Tigers lineup at Cleveland tonight: Torkelson 5th, Meadows 7th in order
Detroit Tigers (18-16) at Cleveland Guardians (22-12)
When: 6:10 p.m. Monday.
Where: Progressive Field in Cleveland.
TV: Bally Sports Detroit, FS1 outside Detroit and Cleveland markets. (Have Xfinity but still looking for a way to watch BSD? Here are some other options.)
Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1). (Tigers radio affiliates).
Probable pitchers: Tigers RHP Jack Flaherty (0-1, 4.00 ERA) vs. Guardians RHP Triston McKenzie (2-2, 4.34).
Tigers lineup:
DH Riley Greene
LF Mark Canha
3B Matt Vierling
RF Kerry Carpenter
1B Spencer Torkelson
2B Colt Keith
CF Parker Meadows
SS Javier Baez
C Carson Kelly
P Jack Flaherty
JEFF SEIDEL: Xfinity, Bally Sports fight costs me Detroit Tigers games. And I can't take it anymore.
Game notes: We have some good news for those of you caught in the crossfire between Bally Sports and Xfinity: Tonight’s Tigers game — the first of three from the Buckeye State — will be on both Bally Sports Detroit AND FS1. (Though, honestly, we’re not sure which feed will have Jason Benetti.)
On the field, the news is less good, as the Tigers face noted nemesis Triston McKenzie. They’ve beaten him in two of their past three meetings, but McKenzie has a long history of dominating the Tigers, with three double-digit strikeout games in seven starts. That includes an 11-strikeout gem in 2021, when McKenzie allowed just one hit and no walks over eight innings at Comerica Park, and a 12-strikeout victory in 2022 when he scattered five hits over eight innings in Cleveland. Most recently, however, he lasted just 4 1/3 innings while giving up three hits and three walks — and striking out just one — in the Tigers’ victory on Sept. 30 in Detroit. Then again, that’s all in the past: McKenzie hasn’t been nearly as effective this season, piling up 24 strikeouts in 29 innings, while walking 18 and allowing four homers in six appearances.
The Tigers will counter with a strikeout artist of their own — albeit an unexpected one — in Jack Flaherty, who’s coming off a 14-strikeout start on Tuesday. That gave him 50 strikeouts in just 36 innings this season, as he entered Sunday as the AL leader. (The Tigers’ Tarik Skubal and the White Sox’s Garrett Crochet both passed him Sunday, to share the AL lead at 53.) That’s a strikeout rate of 12.5 per nine innings, nearly two strikeouts better than his 2019, when he finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting.
There'll be a new face in the lineup, too ... but not for the Tigers. Instead, it's the Guardians who are calling up a hot-hitting youngster: first baseman Kyle Manzardo, as outfielder Stephen Kwan heads to the 10-day injured list. The 23-year-old was the return in last season's deadline deal with Tampa Bay for right-hander Aaron Civale. Manzardo, a 2021 second-round pick out of Washington State (at No. 63 overall), entered Sunday with a ridiculous 1.017 OPS in 29 Triple-A games this season, including 10 doubles, nine homers, 15 walks and 22 strikeouts.
After today’s series opener, the Tigers and Guardians face off twice more (though neither will be on national TV), first at 6:10 p.m. Tuesday, and then the series finale at 1:10 p.m. Wednesday. The Tigers then get a day off before opening a three-game series against the Houston Astros on Friday — and officially debuting their City Connect uniforms.
TIGERS NEWSLETTER: Tarik Skubal tops AL Cy Young contenders after dominant April
Live updates
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Contact Ryan Ford at rford@freepress.com. Follow him on X (which used to be Twitter, y’know?) @theford. Read more on the Detroit Tigers and sign up for our Tigers newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers lineup at Cleveland: 1B Torkelson 5th, CF Meadows 7th
