(Sports Network) - Righty Rick Porcello gets another chance to end a personal
skid and keep the Detroit Tigers in a first-place tie atop the American League
Central Division tonight when they host the Kansas City Royals in game three
of a four-game set at Comerica Park.
The Tigers gained a game on the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, when they
defeated the Royals in game two while the White Sox dropped a game to
Cleveland.
Anibal Sanchez tossed a three-hit shutout in the Tigers' 2-0 win.
Sanchez (4-6) struck out 10 and walked one while earning his first shutout
since Sept. 10, 2011 at Pittsburgh when he was a member of the Marlins.
"We need to take care of our game. We don't have to pay attention to what the
White Sox are going to do, or whether the White Sox win or lose," Sanchez
said. "We need to keep focusing on our game. That's more important."
Prince Fielder and Delmon Young each hit RBI singles in the first inning for
Detroit, which won the first two games of the series.
Bruce Chen (11-13) allowed two runs on 10 hits over 6 2/3 innings for the
Royals, who have dropped three straight. The left-hander struck out five and
walked three.
"They came ready to play. I left a couple pitches up and they got some base
hits," Chen said. "But we played hard and we never gave in."
The Tigers won seven of the first 11 games between the teams in 2012, though
Kansas City swept a three-game set at Kauffman Stadium from Aug. 28-30.
Detroit won the 2011 season series, 11-7.
Meanwhile, Porcello was 9-6 on the season after a 6-5 defeat of the New York
Yankees on Aug. 7 in Detroit.
He's winless in seven starts since, losing six decisions across the stretch
while his earned run average has actually dropped from 4.62 to 4.57.
He got a no-decision at Cleveland in his most recent start on Sept. 16 and
allowed two earned runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Porcello, who's 5-3 in 13 career starts against the Royals, dropped a 2-1
verdict at Kansas City on Aug. 30 after allowing two runs on eight hits in
five innings.
He's opposed by veteran Jeremy Guthrie, who starts for the 13th time with the
Royals since a midseason trade with Colorado for lefty Jonathan Sanchez.
Guthrie was 3-9 in 19 games with the Rockies before the deal and has won four
of seven decisions since, all of which has come in a nine-start unbeaten
string since early August.
He was a 5-3 loser to Texas on Aug. 3 but is 4-0 since, including a victory
over Porcello and the Tigers in the aforementioned Aug. 30 matchup.
Guthrie allowed a run on 10 hits in 7 1/3 innings of the 2-1 win and is 4-3 in
12 career games against Detroit.
The Sports Network