Detroit Tigers lineup vs. Athletics: 3B Gio Urshela, C Carson Kelly in for P Kenta Maeda
Detroit Tigers (6-1) vs. Oakland Athletics (1-7)
When: 1:10 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Comerica Park in Detroit.
TV: Bally Sports Detroit.
Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1). (Tigers radio affiliates).
Weather report: High of 54 degrees and partly cloudy, 10 mph winds, 5% chance of rain.
Probable pitchers: Tigers RHP Kenta Maeda (0-0, 16.20 ERA) vs. Athletics RHP Paul Blackburn (0-0, 0.00 ERA).
Tigers lineup:
LF Riley Greene
RF Mark Canha
2B Colt Keith
3B Gio Urshela
SS Javier Báez
A WIN IS A WIN: Detroit Tigers pick up Tarik Skubal in 5-4 win over A's at Comerica Park Opening Day
Game notes: Can the Tigers keep their red-hot start going? In order to have the best chance to do so, they'll have to get a much better outing from offseason signing Kenta Maeda. Maeda was hit hard in his last start against the White Sox, only lasting 3⅓ innings and surrendering seven hits and six runs, leading to his comically (and misleadingly) high ERA of 16.20. Simply by pitching more innings that will definitely go down and it's far too early to worry about Maeda for the whole season, but the right-handed pitcher did struggle early in the year last season as well.
Maeda made four starts in April 2023 and had an ERA of 9.00 and an 0-4 record. He didn't pitch in May because of an injury, but from June 1 on, he was rock solid, posting an ERA of 3.36 with 103 strikeouts in 17 appearances. So if there are concerns for Maeda, it's that it could take him a while to find a groove, and less so of him being incapable.
The good news for Maeda is the Tigers hitters have shown they have the clutch gene so far this year, despite not putting up huge production. On Thursday, Riley Greene came up with a timely home run to help send the game into extra innings against the New York Mets, where they eventually won. And then on Opening Day after the A's got to ace Tarik Skubal a bit, giving him four earned runs, third baseman Gio Urshela got a big-time double in the eighth inning to drive in Spencer Torkelson, who had a double of his own. As Maeda finds his footing this year, that's the kind of clutch hitting the Tigers may need.
After Saturday's game, the Tigers will close out the series with the Athletics on Sunday with Jack Flaherty scheduled to start before traveling to Pittsburgh to face the Pirates.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers lineup vs. Athletics: 3B Gio Urshela, C Carson Kelly
