Two struggling teams face off at the start of the second half of the season when the Baltimore Orioles take on the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Both the Orioles and the Tigers sit at .500 through the first half of the regular season and need to start off on a good note come Friday night. Which of these two teams gets back into the winning column? Read on for everything you need to know heading into this game.
Friday night is loaded with Major League action. Check out the complete previews for the Cubs vs. Braves and Mets vs. Cardinals.
[sc:MLBArticles ]Baltimore Orioles vs. Detroit Tigers Preview
Where: Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
When: Friday, July 17, 7:08 PM ET
Line: Baltimore Orioles at Detroit Tigers – view all MLB lines
Betting on the Baltimore Orioles
The All-Star Break came at the perfect time for the Baltimore Orioles to regroup as they have lost 10 of their last 13 games prior to the break. The Orioles will have an excellent shot at going above .500 when the second half of the season starts with Ubaldo Jimenez (7-4, 2.81 ERA) on the mound.
[sc:MLB240banner ]Jimenez has been amazing in his last three starts. He pitched five shutout innings in a 5-3 loss at Minnesota in July 8 and delivered another shutout in an eight-inning four-hitter in a 4-0 win against Cleveland in June 28. He allowed just one earned run in a 1-0 loss against the White Sox sandwiched between his shutout performances.
Jimenez faces quite a challenge against Detroit. His teams have lost the last three games against Detroit with Jimenez himself as the starter.
But the Orioles can have plenty of success against struggling Detroit starter Anibal Sanchez. They have a trio of excellent batters who could do some damage in their first game after the All-Star Break. Manny Machado leads the Orioles with 19 home runs this season. Jimmy Paredes has been excellent leading the team with a .299 batting average. Meanwhile, Chris Davis has been hot with a team-high 52 RBIs.
Betting on the Detroit Tigers
With the way Anibal Sanchez (8-7, 4.63 ERA) has struggled this season, the Detroit Tigers may be in for a tough matchup against the Orioles after the All-Star Break. But the Tigers have given him plenty of run support to help him escape with wins. Sanchez is unbeaten in his last six starts (five wins and one no-decision). The Tigers are perfect in all six of those games.
Sanchez has allowed at least three earned runs in his last four starts, being tagged for six home runs along the way. But Sanchez has had plenty of success against the Orioles in his career, holding Baltimore batters to a .195 batting average.
The Detroit starters’ struggles won’t be too apparent if Detroit can continue giving him enough run support. Leading the way at the plate would be J.D. Martinez, Victor Martinez and Yoenis Cespedes.
J.D. Martinez leads the Tigers with 25 home runs and 59 RBIs this season. Meanwhile, Victor Martinez has had plenty of success against Ubaldo Jimenez in his career, hitting .333 with three home runs and nine RBIs. Cespedes has been solid in his limited appearances against Jimenez, going 3 for 7 with a home run, three RBIs and two walks.
The Tigers have lost four of their last six home games against Baltimore.
Writer’s Prediction
The Tigers explode to a big win. Create a betting account now and get yourself some daily baseball action.
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