The Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers face off this Friday in the first game of the weekend series at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers are coming off a disappointing series in which they lost two out of three games to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Tigers have also been playing poor baseball as of late, getting swept by division rival Minnesota Twins.
With both teams struggling a bit going into this series, which team will come out on top in this one? Let's check out everything you need to know about the Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers ahead of the game for Friday.
Match Details
Fixture: Detroit Tigers vs. Los Angeles Dodgers | MLB Regular Season 2022
Date & Time: Friday, April 29, 10:10 p.m. EDT
Venue: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California
Detroit Tigers Team Preview
The Detroit Tigers enter the series against the Dodgers after getting swept by the Minnesota Twins. The Tigers go into the game with a record of 6-12. The team has had struggles at the plate as of late, scoring only a combined nine runs in the past five games played.
One bright spot for the Tigers offense has been newly acquired outfielder Austin Meadows, who is batting .302 on the season. Meadows is the only Tigers player that is currently batting .300 on the season. This will be a tough matchup for the Tigers hitters as they travel to Dodger Stadium and face one of the best pitching staffs in all of baseball.
Key Player: Tyler Alexander
Tyler Alexander gets the start for the road team in this one. This season, Alexander has posted a 0-2 record with a 7.20 ERA in three starts. If the Tigers want to have any chance at winning this one, they need a solid performance from Alexander.
Detroit Tigers Predicted Lineup
The Detroit Tigers predicted lineup can be seen below.
Javier Baez is off to a solid start to his Tigers career. In eight games played, the slugging shortstop has two home runs and eight RBIs with a .267 batting average.
In yesterday's game against the Twins, Robbie Grossman went three for five. The Tigers will need Grossman's bat to stay hot going into the series in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Dodgers Team Preview
The Los Angeles Dodgers head home after a series in Phoenix. The Dodgers head into this matchup with a record of 12-6. The Dodgers are off to a really good start to the 2022 season despite losing two out of three to the rebuilding Arizona Diamondbacks.
The starting pitching has been the strength of the team so far. Andrew Heaney, Clayton Kershaw, and Walker Buehler look like Cy Young candidates. When Trevor Bauer returns from his suspension, the rotation will become even deeper with All-Star level talent. Every pitcher in the Dodgers rotation has an ERA below 3.00.
"Walker Buehler is the first pitcher in MLB to throw a complete game this season!" - @ Talkin' Baseball
Walker Buehler tossed the first shutout of the season by any pitcher earlier this week.
Key Player: Tyler Anderson
Tyler Anderson gets the start for the Dodgers in this one. Anderson comes in with a record of 1-0 with an ERA of 2.84.
Los Angeles Dodgers Predicted Lineup
The Dodgers predicted lineup for Friday's game can be seen below.
Freddie Freeman is transitioning nicely with his new team, batting .310 with three home runs and nine RBIs to start his Dodgers career.
Tigers vs. Dodgers Match Prediction
This game will all come down to starting pitching for the Tigers. If the Tigers can get a nice outing from Tyler Alexander, then they have a chance, but this will be a tall task. The Dodgers are by far the more talented team. Playing at home will only help them. Final score: Dodgers 5, Tigers 2.
Where to watch Tigers vs. Dodgers
The game can be seen on Bally Sports Detroit, SportsNet LA, and MLB.tv.