The Detroit Tigers will go for their fourth victory in a row Saturday afternoon when they face the Chicago White Sox in the second game of a three-game series at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago.
Detroit (34-37) would match a season high if it is able to extend its winning streak. The Tigers have won five of their last eight games and 14 of their last 23 Buccaneers Game Jerseys , and the mood is light despite the recent loss of star slugger Miguel Cabrera.
Of course, it helps that the Tigers feel comfortable playing against the White Sox. Detroit has won its past four games on Chicago’s South Side, and it is 8-2 in its past 10 games overall against the White Sox dating back to last season.
Chicago (24-44) has dropped back-to-back games and is looking to avoid its first three-game losing streak of the month. The White Sox have won or split each of their past four series and have posted an 8-7 record in June.
White Sox manager Rick Renteria said he is proud of his players and their refusal to get down on themselves.
“They continue to play,” Renteria said. “They’re grinding. They’re doing everything they can to put themselves in a good position to do what they need to do individually, and collectively, they continue to come together.
“It’s one of those things where you learn a lot about yourself when you’re going bad, and it’s surviving that little tumble that’s going to share with you what the character is of these guys. I think they’re showing up and playing every day and competing and trying to do the best they can to win a ballgame.”
Tensions briefly flared in Friday’s series opener when Tigers right-hander Mike Fiers hit Tim Anderson in the back with a pitch. It was the first pitch after Fiers allowed a three-run home run to Omar Narvaez to tie the score.
Tempers quickly cooled, and the Tigers eventually pulled ahead for a 4-3 win.
“The confidence is always going to be high, the mood is always going to be great whether we win, lose or draw,” Anderson told reporters before the game. “We’ve got a great group of guys.”
White Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito (4-7, 7.09 ERA) will make his 14th start as he attempts to turn around a difficult start to the season. Giolito walked four batters and allowed four runs in five inning a 4-0 loss in his most recent outing Monday against Cleveland.
In two career starts against Detroit, Giolito is 1-1 with a 3.55 ERA. He has walked six and fanned eight in 12 2/3 innings. One of those starts took place this season, when he allowed four hits and five runs in 5 2/3 inning in a 6-1 loss to the Tigers on April 7.
The Tigers will counter with right-hander Jordan Zimmermann (2-0, 4.88 ERA), who is expected to come off the disabled list for his first appearance since May 5. Zimmermann has been sidelined by a right shoulder injury.
In nine career starts against Chicago, Zimmermann has posted a 5-2 record with a 5.73 ERA. The 32-year-old has walked 12 and struck out 30 in 48 2/3 innings.
Zimmermann faced the White Sox on April 5 this season, allowing nine hits and six runs in 4 1/3 innings in a game the Tigers won 9-7.
Victor Martinez will try to stay hot for the Tigers. He has reached base safely in eight of his last nine contests against the White Sox, and he is batting .346 (9-for-26) with two doubles and six RBIs during that span.
White Sox outfielder Charlie Tilson carries a six-game hitting streak into the game.
Perhaps there will come a time when Carson Wentz wants to talk about having to watch the Philadelphia Eagles win their first Super Bowl.
For the man expected to be the next franchise quarterback for the Eagles Titans Game Jerseys , it wasn’t going to be the moments after Nick Foles led a 41-33 win over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots on Sunday night.
Wentz said he just wanted to celebrate with the Super Bowl MVP and the rest of his teammates, which he did. He shared quiet conversation in the locker room with owner Jeffrey Lurie before tight end Brent Celek grabbed him by the shoulders and said, ”Brothers for life.”
A few minutes later, Wentz, Foles and Nate Sudfeld, the backup since Wentz’s season-ending knee injury in Week 14, huddled near their lockers and bolted out a door, headed to an area off-limits to reporters.
Wentz didn’t flat-out say no when asked if he wanted to talk, and got a little testy when a reporter tried to find out what ”soon” meant. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 draft smiled a lot, too, as he wandered the locker room.
”You just know it’s tough when you talk to him sometimes,” receiver Torrey Smith said. ”It would be tough for me. He would have been the MVP of the league if he didn’t get hurt. You know that’s tough.”
Wentz, who walked gingerly and didn’t step into throws while making tosses alongside Foles during warmups, tore two ligaments in his left knee in a win over the Los Angeles Rams in December.
Foles and the Philadelphia offense were up and down through three regular-season games and the playoff opener, a 15-10 win over Atlanta.
But in his final two postseason games, Foles threw for 725 yards and six touchdowns, three in each game. He even caught a scoring pass in the Super Bowl.
After the Eagles fell behind for the first time in the fourth quarter against the Patriots, Foles guided 14-play, 75-yard drive to what ended up being the winning score – an 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Zach Ertz.
When Brady’s desperation pass hit the ground in the end zone on the final play Redskins Game Jerseys , Wentz stormed the field alongside everyone else. And that sideline had some other key players in street clothes – two-time All-Pro left tackle Jason Peters and speedy running back Darren Sproles.
Oh, and Wentz held the Lombardi Trophy over his head during the celebration.
”When he went down, the foundation had been laid so strong that we weren’t usually swayed by anything,” Ertz said. ”We lost so many guys through this journey. Carson just gave us confidence every time we stepped on the field at the beginning of the season.”
Coach Doug Pederson lauded Wentz for staying engaged with his teammates after the injury. He was leading the NFL with 33 touchdown passes when he got hurt and finished just one behind league leader Russell Wilson of Seattle.
”He was in there in the mornings studying the tape with the quarterbacks like he always does,” Pederson said. ”And then he’d come to practice and just watch. Any advice that he had for Nick he would give it. If he felt like it wasn’t necessary, he wouldn’t give it. Just a great resource for Nick.”
Wentz says he plans to be ready for the regular season in September. If not, Foles is under contract for another season, and the Eagles could get offers from teams looking for a starter after what the sixth-year pro did in the playoffs.
”I’m not going to say it’s bittersweet,” Smith said. ”But you know as a competitor you want to be on the field. I know he’s genuinely happy for Foles and this team. And I know more so than anything this is motivation for him to come back stronger than ever and to help lead this team back to this position.”
From time to time during the offseason, the Eagles will also get the question some just can’t resist asking after a backup becomes a Super Bowl MVP. Who’s the starter?
”Man, here you go,” receiver Alshon Jeffery said. ”Shut you off, man. You know who is throwing the ball. Carson, of course.”
As far as talking, though, Wentz deferred to Foles on this night.