Tigers-Astros Preview: Detroit Looks To Rebound From Defeat

Miguel Cabrera didn’t get a hit in his return Friday night from six weeks on the disabled list.

Left-hander Matt Boyd will make his third start with the Tigers and first one not against the Kansas City Royals. Ryan (1-2, 5.94 ERA in 10 games, including five starts) will work as a starter in Toledo.

Right-hander Danny Darwin won 13 consecutive decisions between the 1989 and 1990 seasons at the Astrodome.

Verlander scattered three hits with seven strikeouts in seven innings.

The Astros were unable to solve the veteran right-hander, Houston only managed three hits and two walks through seven innings.

But a few innings later, Tucker made up for his misplay in left field when he came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning against Tigers closer Bruce Rondon and caught a 100-mph fastball cleanly, sending it out to right-centerfield to tie the game.

Keuchel buckled down after surrendering an RBI single to Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez in the fourth.

“I was working a lot, throwing a lot and I’m trying to find it and I think now I can kind of get into my normal routine and not throw too much and let my body recover as it should”, Verlander said.

McHugh surrendered just four hits – all singles – over seven innings, with one misplay by left fielder Preston Tucker in the fifth inning proving costly. The former Brewers starting pitcher is 0-0 with a 5.40 ERA over 11.2 innings since being traded to the Astros.

“The walk to Cabrera sort of creates the inning”, Hinch said.

As a member of the Milwaukee Brewers, Fiers pitched against the Tigers on May 18, going 5 2/3 innings and allowing two runs.

“I don’t think this is a throwback”, he said.

“He did an excellent job of executing his game plan”, Ausmus said. Surprisingly, the Astros are just 34-36 since leaving Detroit at the end of May. “I kind of held back out an abundance of caution”, Ausmus said.

Oswalt, Hall of Famer Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Lance Berkman and former Astros manager Phil Garner were greeted with thunderous ovations as they were presented to the crowd. You have done it before, remember the playoffs in 2005 where the opposing teams wanted the roof open during Astros home games. Boyd is 1-1 in his previous two starts with Detroit. “His last at bat he hit the ball hard, but that’s to be expected”.