Tigers @ Rays

Who will WIN this matchup?

Detroit Tigers (37-82)

@ Tampa Bay Rays (71-52)

Starting Pitchers:

VerHagen (DET): 1-8; 7.13 ERA

Yarbrough (TB) 11-3; 3.56 ERA

Last 10 Games Played:

Detroit Tigers: 5-5

Tampa Bay Rays: 6-4

Current odds:

Detroit Tigers: (+263)

Tampa Bay Rays: (-295)

• The Tampa Bay Rays look to get their bats in gear again and snap a 17-inning scoring drought when they host the major league-worst Detroit Tigers in the second of a three-game series Saturday night. The Rays were blanked in the final eight innings of a loss at San Diego on Wednesday afternoon before managing just five hits and leaving the tying runs on base in the final frame of Friday’s 2-0 loss. Matt Duffy had three of the hits in the series opener and is 9-for-23 over his past six contests to raise his batting average to .290 for Tampa Bay, which had won five in a row before the drought and owns a slight lead in the race for the second wild card in the American League. Veteran Jordan Zimmermann will try to keep the Rays’ bats in deep freeze when he makes his 16th start of the season Saturday and Tampa Bay’s Ryan Yarbrough hopes to match perhaps the best outing of his career last time out as he starts for the seventh time in 2019.

• The Tigers are headed toward a third straight losing season, but have been a bit of a pest lately with five victories in the last 10 games after recording their third shutout of the campaign Friday. Rookie outfielder Travis Demeritte had a pair of hits and scored a run in the series opener for Detroit as he improved to 13-for-35 in his last 10 contests.

• Zimmermann (neck strain) is expected to come off the injured list and make his first start since Aug. 4 when he allowed four runs over six innings in a no-decision at Texas. The 33-year-old Wisconsin native snapped a 17-game winless streak in his previous start when he limited the Los Angeles Angels to two runs on four hits across 5 1/3 frames. Kevin Kiermaier is 6-for-11 with a homer versus Zimmermann, who is 1-2 with a 3.95 ERA in seven career games against the Rays.

• Yarbrough came up one out short of his first career shutout last Sunday at Seattle, allowing three hits and striking out eight with no walks while throwing 99 pitches. The 27-year-old Old Dominion product is unbeaten in his last 10 trips to the mound, permitting 11 total runs over 50 1/3 innings with a 6-0 record. Yarbrough, who is just 2-2 with a 5.36 ERA at Tropicana Field this year, is 3-2 with a 3.16 ERA over six starts in 2019 and has thrown three scoreless innings in his career versus Detroit.

• Detroit DH Miguel Cabrera has 474 homers, one behind Willie Stargell and Stan Musial for 31st on MLB’s all-time list.

• Tampa Bay RHP Peter Fairbanks was recalled Friday and gave up one run on two hits over one inning in his debut with the club.

• Tigers OF Victor Reyes is 10-for-24 during a six-game hitting streak and boasts multiple hits in five of his past nine contests.