The Arizona Diamondbacks (37-25) take one of the best offenses in MLB on the road to face the Detroit Tigers (26-34) at Comerica Park on Friday for the opener of a three-game Interleague series.
The Diamondbacks are coming off a two-game sweep of the Nationals, taking the finale 6-2 on Wednesday at Nationals Park. Corbin Carroll was 4 for 5 with a home run, three runs, and two RBIs. Ketel Marte went 3 for 4 with a double and two runs.
The Tigers are back home for a six-game homestand after concluding a winless six-game road trip. They are coming off a three-game sweep at the hands of the Phillies, dropping the finale 3-2 on Thursday at Citizens Bank Park for their sixth straight loss.
Nick Maton went 1 for 3 with one RBI. Jake Marisnick added one run on a walk. The teams are meeting for the first time this season. Last season, the Tigers won two of the three games between the teams.
ON THE MOUND
Merrill Kelly (7-3, 2.80 ERA) is set to start for Arizona. The righty is tied for second in the NL in wins. Kelly allowed two runs over seven innings in his last start, a 3-2 road win over the Braves on June 2.
He got the win, yielding five hits while striking out eight and walking three. Kelly made one start against the Tigers in 2022, a 5-1 home loss on June 24. He surrendered four runs on seven hits over six innings, striking out five and walking one.
For Detroit, righty Michael Lorenzen (2-2, 3.21 ERA) will toe the rubber. In his last start on Saturday, Lorenzen took a no-decision on the road against the White Sox. He threw seven innings and gave up one run on two hits, striking out six, in the 2-1 loss.
AT THE PLATE
The Arizona offense is averaging 5.0 runs per game for the season, fifth best in MLB, with a slash line of .263/.328/.433. Carroll leads the team in OPS at .928. The center fielder is slashing .300/.387/.541 with 11 home runs, 27 RBIs, and 43 runs over 59 games.
Against righties like Lorenzen this season, the D-backs have a .766 OPS. Carroll also is the team’s best hitter against right-handers with a .969 OPS in 148 at-bats. Detroit is slashing .221/.297/.341 for the season and averaging 3.5 runs per game, the lowest in MLB.
Riley Greene leads the team with a .805 OPS. The center fielder has five home runs, 18 RBIs, and 29 runs scored with a slash line of .296/.362/.443.
Detroit is averaging only 1.6 runs per game in the last five with their slash line falling across the board (.111/.190/.176). The Tigers have a .624 OPS against right-handers in 2023, the lowest in MLB. With a .834 OPS over 155 at-bats, Greene also has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Arizona is 17-11 in road games in 2023, scoring 5.4 runs per game while allowing 5.2 runs. Detroit has gone 14-13 at Comerica Park this season, averaging 4.0 runs per game while surrendering 4.9.
The teams have split their last 10 games head-to-head at Comerica Park, though Detroit has the scoring advantage with an average final margin of 4.5-3.4.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Diamondbacks lead the NL West by one game over the Dodgers. The Tigers are fourth in the AL Central, three games behind the Twins.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Arizona D-Backs (-145)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
