Brad Penny Starts For The Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are trying to secure home-field advantage in the first round of the postseason. With a favorable remaining schedule, it's not impossible they could have that edge throughout the AL playoffs.
The Tigers will try to continue their season-long domination of the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night in the opener of a two-game set.
Detroit clinched the AL Central with a 3-1 victory over Oakland on Friday and went on to split the four-game series with a 3-0 win Sunday. Justin Verlander earned his 24th win and Austin Jackson homered.
The Tigers (89-64) have won 14 of 16 and 24 of 30 as they continue to chase the New York Yankees for the AL's best record. Detroit has a one-game lead over Texas for the second-best record in the AL and home-field advantage in the division series.
"The champagne bottles are packed and gone, and the cigars are gone," manager Jim Leyland said. "We have another mission and that's to get home-field advantage. If there's a fifth game, we want our fans to see it."
Helping his team's cause is a favorable remaining schedule against three teams no longer in contention. After visiting Kansas City, Detroit finishes the season at home against Baltimore and Cleveland.
As the Tigers try to determine their postseason rotation, Brad Penny's role is still undefined. He'll try to improve his chances Tuesday.
"I want to win, so whatever I can do to help the team win," he told the Tigers' official website.
After posting a 9.00 ERA over his previous three starts, Penny (10-10, 5.07 ERA) allowed five runs - one earned - in six innings of a 6-5, 10-inning win over Chicago on Wednesday.
The right-hander gave up five hits in eight innings of a 3-0 win over Kansas City on May 14.
Despite long being out of contention, the Royals (67-87) are finishing the season strong. They had a seven-game winning streak snapped with a 10-5 loss to the White Sox on Sunday.
Kansas City had 15 hits and went 6 for 18 with runners in scoring position, but Bruce Chen gave up four runs in 5 1-3 innings and Jesse Chavez gave up four runs in the eighth.
"I'm kinda bummed out that I lost the game because we're on a roll and playing really good, and I wanted to keep it going," Chen said.
The Royals are averaging 6.7 runs and hitting .380 during the first six games of this eight-game homestand. Mike Moustakas is 11 for 21 with three homers.
However, Moustakas hasn't had much success against the Tigers, hitting .179 in 10 games.
Kansas City will turn to Luis Mendoza in his season debut. Mendoza made four relief appearances last year with the Royals and hasn't started a game since 2008 with Texas.
The right-hander was the Pacific Coast League pitcher of the year after going 10-3 with a 1.85 ERA.
Over six appearances spanning 8 1-3 innings that included one start, Mendoza is 0-1 with a 15.12 ERA against the Tigers.
Carlos Guillen is 3 for 4 against Mendoza, but he left Sunday's game with a calf strain and Leyland was not optimistic he'd play Tuesday.
Detroit is 10-6 against the Royals, winning five of seven at Kauffman Stadium. Magglio Ordonez, who extended his hitting streak to 14 games Sunday, is batting .333 with two homers and three doubles against the Royals. He had three hits Sunday.
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