MLB Playoffs: The Detroit Tigers visit the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in Game 1 of the American League Division Series. The Tigers were looking at starting either Max Scherzer or Justin Verlander in Game 1 while the Orioles will be going with Chris Tillman. The Orioles had the better record this season but they had all kinds of problems against the Tigers, losing five of six meetings this season. Here is a look at Game 1 on Thursday that can be seen on TBS and MLB playoff predictions.
Detroit Tigers 45-36 on the Road
The Tigers were just as good on the road as they were at home this season as they finished with the exact same record home and away. The Tigers finished second in the league in runs per game at 4.67 but they were just 24th in team ERA as they allowed 4.02 runs per game. Their starting rotation was better down the stretch though and Verlander looked a quality pitcher again. If he pitches well then Detroit can win this series.
Chris Tillman
The top Baltimore pitcher this season was Chris Tillman who had a 3.34 ERA. Tillman had a 2.54 ERA at home. He did not, however, lead the team in wins. Tillman was 13-6 on the season while Wei-Yin Chen had 16 wins while Bud Norris had 15 wins. Tillman threw a combined 19.2 innings in his last three starts and went 1-1 with a 3.20 ERA. He has done well in his career against the Tigers with a 3-0 mark and a 3.58 ERA.
Game Notes
The Tigers went 5-1 this season against the Orioles but the one game they lost was to Tillman. He allowed just one run in a 3-1 win earlier this season when he was matched up against Justin Verlander. The Tigers have won six of the last ten overall against the Orioles with three of the last four going under. The Tigers have also won six of the last ten in Baltimore with four of the last seven going under.
MLB Playoff Predictions
We’ll go with the road underdog Tigers in Game 1 and also take the game under the total.
