Who the Detroit Tigers Are Trusting Against the Atlanta Braves
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The Detroit Tigers salvaged one win against the Cincinnati Reds this weekend when they could have easily taken the series if it weren't for the game one blunder. But now they turn their attention to the Atlanta Braves, as they have three more games to get through before returning to Comerica Park.
The Braves have been playing some of their best baseball and are the first team in the league to reach 20 wins on the season, meaning the Tigers have to bring their A-game to get the job done and stay above a .500 record.
Luckily for them, they're sending their best three starting pitchers to get the job done on the mound, something that manager A.J. Hinch might not have planned, but is thankful the rotation is unfolding that way.
Game 1 : Casey Mize
Arguably, the best starting pitcher this month for the Tigers has been Casey Mize. He's pitching extremely well and has been the reason that Detroit has kept itself afloat this month.
Coming off back-to-back great starts against the Boston Red Sox and the Milwaukee Brewers, Mize has lowered his ERA to 2.51 entering the series in Atlanta. He has 32 strikeouts, a WHIP of 1.15, and has been reliable for six innings of work.
This will be his fourth start on the road this season, during which he holds a 3.18 ERA across 17 innings of work. He'll need to keep the ball in the ballpark to be successful, which he's done strongly so far this season, only allowing two home runs.
Game 2 : Tarik Skubal
The Tigers' ace will make his seventh start of the season in game two against the Braves. Coming off a performance where he allowed four runs against the Brewers, this start feels like one where the back-to-back Cy Young Award winner will be the most dialed in.
Skubal was visibly upset after his last outing at Comerica Park, but thankfully, the offense came back to help him out. On the road this season, Skubal holds a 2.28 ERA in 23.1 innings of work, punching out 26 along the way.
Currently, Skubal's ERA of 2.72 ranks 28th in Major League Baseball, his 0.99 WHIP ranks 18th, and his 38 strikeouts rank in an 11th-place tie.
Game 3 : Framber Valdez
The biggest free agent signing of the offseason for the Tigers, Framber Valdez, hasn't performed the best away from Comerica Park. He's slated for game three against Atlanta and holds a 5.06 ERA on the road this season.
At the end of the day, Valdez is more likely to give Detroit a quality outing than not, but in his recent two starts, the free passes have been what's hurt him the most. Walking five Reds in his last outing, Valdez's WHIP sits at 1.31, ranking 51st in the MLB.
Valdez will look for better success against the Braves in game three, holding a career 6.55 ERA in the two regular-season games against the franchise in his career in 11 innings. Small sample size, but still had to be a talking point for his upcoming start.
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Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.