DETROIT – After pounding Erik Bedard and the Tampa Bay Rays (38-50) in the first meeting of the season, the Detroit Tigers (48-34) will try to bully the last-place Rays again to extend a four-game winning streak on Friday night.
Detroit bounced Bedard after two innings, pinning the 35-year-old with six earned runs. Max Scherzer allowed just two hits and one run in eight innings as the Tigers outhit the Rays 15-2 overall. Every Tiger batter had at least one hit, with the exception of Eugenio Suarez. Miguel Cabrera led the charge with three hits and four runs scored.
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On Friday, Drew Smyly looks to bounce back from his seventh loss of the season in his last outing and replicate his four previous appearances, all quality starts. In his career, Smyly holds the Tampa Bay offense to a .174 average in 23 at-bats.
TV: 7:08 p.m. ET, ESPN, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), FSN Detroit
Manager Joe Maddon will send out right-handed Alex Cobb, who struggles against Detroit in his career. The 26-year-old is 0-1 against the Tigers, who combine to hit .338 off of him. Cobb has never surrendered a home run to any of the players on Detroit's current roster.
With the win Thursday, the Tigers extended their division lead to five games over the Kansas City Royals. The four-game series against Tampa Bay will continue through the weekend, with the finale airing on ESPN's "Sunday Night Baseball."
View: MLB Standings