Is tonight going to be Justin Verlander’s last start as a Detroit Tiger? Verlander has been rumored to be on the trade block but until that pushes through, expect the veteran righty to take on the mighty bats of the Houston Astros later today. In another contest, the Baltimore Oriole and the Texas Rangers squares off in Arlington for the last of a four-game series.
Lance McCullers continues to search for an answer to his woes with the Astros losing all four of his past four starts. Nevertheless, McCullers sports a strong 7-2 record to go with a decent 3.67 ERA in 18 starts this year. As for the Tigers, they’re scheduled to start former Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander, who is 5-7 with a 4.50 ERA in 21 starts. The Tigers are on a downward spiral themselves of late whenever Verlander is on the mound as they’ve all of Verlander’s last five starts. Verlander, however, is 4-0 with a 2.83 ERA in eight career starts against Houston.
The Orioles and the Rangers conclude their three-game series tonight in Arlington, where both teams parade pitchers Wade Miley and Martin Perez, respectively. Miley (4-9, 6.69 ERA) has been shelled by opponents over his last three starts, during which he has posted a 0-2 record and a dizzying 9.77 ERA across 15.2 total innings. Perez, meanwhile, hasn’t had a much better experience of late, going 1-2 with a 4.95 ERA in his past three starts. So far this season, Perez is 5-8 with a 4.67 ERA in 19 starts.
