GDT35: 5/13/14 - DET (22-12) AT BAL (20-16) - 7:05 p.m. ET---
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Detroit Tigers AT Baltimore OriolesTuesday, May 13, 2014
Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD
Game Time - 7:05 p.m. EDT ______________________________________
Pitching matchup Tigers: LHP Drew Smyly (2-2, 2.96 ERA)Smyly struggled to locate his breaking ball for a stretch in his last start and paid for it, allowing a three-run fifth inning in a loss to Houston. He'll need that pitch against a more power-packed Orioles lineup.
Orioles: RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (2-4, 4.73 ERA)After a disastrous April, Jimenez is 2-0 in May. The right-hander went 5 1/3 frames in his last start and scattered seven hits, holding the Rays to one run.
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PREVIEW
Ubaldo to take on familiar foe in TigersO's righty faced Detroit plenty of times while pitching for IndiansBy Jason Beck / MLB.com | 5/13/2014 12:45 AM ET
Ubaldo Jimenez's history with the Tigers rolls on. It's just now in a different uniform.
He'll be linked for his career to the 2011 July non-waiver Trade Deadline, when Detroit and Cleveland made dueling deals to try to win the American League Central. The Indians snagged Jimenez on the same day that the Tigers, who had been linked to Jimenez on the rumor mill, acquired Doug Fister. While Fister became a key figure behind three consecutive AL Central titles in Detroit, Jimenez became a symbol of a Cleveland team that was perennially trying to break out.
Jimenez's 26-30 record and 4.45 ERA in 74 career starts for the Tribe included a 4-7 record and 5.25 ERA in 13 games against Detroit. Seven of those outings were quality starts, six of which the Indians won. In five of the other six, Jimenez had more runs surrendered than innings pitched.
His Orioles tenure has had a somewhat similar theme through seven starts after signing with Baltimore early in Spring Training. He went 0-4 with a 6.59 ERA in five April starts, but has dominated so far in May, tossing 12 2/3 innings of one-run ball with three walks and 13 strikeouts. In doing so, he has started to look more like the guy the Orioles had hoped when they signed him to a four-year, $50 million deal this winter.
He pitched on Thursday against the Rays, and while Jimenez's start was again short -- he lasted 5 1/3 innings -- he held Tampa Bay to one run on seven hits.
"It was a good one because when I saw myself have 50 pitches in the second inning I was like, 'Wow. This is going to be a long one,'" said Jimenez, who struggled with command in the 117-pitch outing. "So I told myself I have to find a way to cut back on it and go as long as I can."
The O's will need length from Jimenez on Tuesday, as they have just 12 quality starts this season.
Jimenez's history against individual Tigers hitters is similarly mixed. Though Miguel Cabrera is a .341 (14-for-41) lifetime hitter against him, he has only one home run, compared with four doubles. By contrast, three of Victor Martinez's seven career hits off Jimenez are homers. Torii Hunter, meanwhile, went 5-for-8 against him last year.
Jimenez doesn't have to deal with his Trade Deadline counterpart in Detroit anymore, but he'll pitch opposite the left-hander who replaced Fister in the Tigers' rotation. Drew Smyly has two quality outings and two subpar ones in his four starts this season, but his three scoreless innings of relief against the Orioles on April 4 helped Detroit to a win.
Orioles: Guilmet recalled from Triple-ASeeking to add some right-handed arms to their bullpen against Detroit, the Orioles recalled Preston Guilmet from Triple-A Norfolk prior to Monday night's series opener. Guilmet takes the roster spot of T.J. McFarland, who was optioned after Sunday's game, and he pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings in Monday's 4-1 loss.
Acquired in a spring trade with Cleveland in exchange for infielder Torsten Boss, Guilmet has appeared in 12 games for Norfolk, allowing nine earned runs -- six of which came in one outing -- on 11 hits and four walks with 17 strikeouts over 14 1/3 innings.
"You look at Preston, you always try to give the other organization credit that they know more than we do, but there's not going to be -- of these 24 pitchers -- many that have a better Minor League resume than he does," manager Buck Showalter said of Guilmet, who is 20-15 with a 2.71 ERA in six years in the Minors.
"He's only really had one transition to the big leagues, one opportunity," Showalter said. "We were fortunate to trade for him. A pitcher like that with that background and options is hard to find."
Tigers: No retaliation expected for Hunter being hitThough Hunter could be nursing some seriously sore ribs on his left side after taking a Bud Norris fastball there in the eighth inning on Monday, manager Brad Ausmus said there will be no retaliation.
"This is baseball," Ausmus said after Monday's 4-1 Tigers win. "The players know that you forget about yesterday and you move on."
Hunter said he had a purple bruise where he took the pitch and that it was sore. He didn't say anything about his status for Tuesday's game. Asked if he anticipated any retaliation, he said, "I mean, the game polices itself. We're just going to keep playing the game, doing what we have to do and see what happens."
Worth noting• Andrew Romine said before Monday's game that he's trying to make some minor adjustments in his swing working with hitting coach Wally Joyner and assistant Darnell Coles. Romine went 0-for-3 Monday, leaving him 2-for-17 over the Tigers' last eight games.
• Nick Markakis' 18-game hitting streak ended Monday with an 0-for-4 game. He had a hit in every game since April 21, going 26-for-73 (.356) over the course of the streak.
• Martinez has hit safely in 14 of his last 15 games, batting .379 (22-for-58) with 10 runs, five doubles, six walks, five home runs and 15 RBIs.
Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.______________________________________
Tiger's MLB Game Notes
INJURY UPDATE:•
Dirks, Andy (LF) (Recovering from March 2014 back surgery, on the 60-day disabled list, Due Back: Possibly June)
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Hanrahan, Joel (P) (Recovery from 2013 Tommy John surgery, Placed on 15-day DL on May 2, Due Back: Possibly June)
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Iglesias, Jose (SS) (Stress fractures in both shins, 60-day disabled list, Due Back: Possibly late 2014)
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Putkonen, Luke (P) (Right elbow inflammation, Placed on 15-day DL on April 21, retroactive to April 19, Due Back: Possibly week of May 5)
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Rondon, Bruce (P) (Tommy John surgery-Right elbow, 60-day disabled list, Due Back: 2015)
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Sanchez, Anibal (P) (lacerated right middle finger, Placed on 15-day DL on April 26, Due Back: Possibly mid-May)
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BROADCAST SCHEDULE:
On the InternetMLB.TV Gameday Audio•
SCOREBOARD•
Official Press Pass game notesOn television•
, MLBN
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Direct TV Extra Innings ScheduleOn radio•
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XM Channel Schedule______________________________________
Up next (Probable Pitchers) • Wednesday, May 14:TIGERS: (RHP
Justin Verlander (4-2, 2.67 ERA))
ATORIOLES: (RHP
Kevin Gausman (0-0, -.-- ERA))
12:35p p.m. ET (FS-D, MLBN, FM 97.1)• Thursday, May 15: OFF DAY• Friday, May 16:TIGERS: (RHP
Max Scherzer (5-1, 2.04 ERA))
ATRED SOX: (?HP
TBA (TBA ERA))
7:10p p.m. ET (FS-D, MLBN, FM 97.1)• Saturday, May 17:TIGERS: (RHP
Anibal Sanchez (0-2, 3.13 ERA))
ATRED SOX: (?HP
TBA (TBA ERA))
7:10p p.m. ET (FS-D, MLBN, FM 97.1)• Sunday, May 18:TIGERS: (RHP
Rick Porcello (6-1, 3.22 ERA))
ATRED SOX: (?HP
TBA (TBA ERA))
8:05p p.m. ET (ESPN, FM 97.1)Mon, 5/19 at
Indians 7:05p FS-D, ESPN, FM 97.1
Tue, 5/20 at
Indians 7:05p FS-D, FM 97.1
Wed, 5/21 at
Indians 12:05p FS-D, FM 97.1
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