The Detroit Tigers (61-64, 4th in the AL Central) find themselves in Chicago on Wednesday, facing the Chicago Cubs (61-64, 4th in the NL Central) in the second game of a three-game series. After a narrow victory over the New York Yankees with a score of 3-2 on Sunday, the Tigers have been on a roll, winning six out of their last seven games. Currently, Detroit is trailing the AL Central leaders by 11.5 games and sits nine games behind the last wild card spot. The Cubs, on the other hand, fell to the Toronto Blue Jays 1-0 on Sunday and have lost four of their last six contests. They also find themselves 11.5 games behind the division leaders and 5.5 games away from a wild card position. The Tigers will be missing three pitchers and right fielder Wenceel Perez, while the Cubs will be without seven pitchers and catcher Tomas Nido.
This article was written prior to the teams’ matchup on Tuesday.
Tigers Struggling Offensively but Strong on the Mound
The Tigers rank 21st in the league for runs scored (518), 22nd in slugging percentage (.383), 27th in batting average (.231), and 28th in on-base percentage (.294). Leading the team, Riley Greene has hit 17 home runs and driven in 51 runs, while Matt Vierling is close behind with 14 homers and 46 RBIs. Collectively, the Tigers have 11 players with RBI counts ranging from 20 to 51. They have managed to hit 185 doubles, 37 triples, and 126 home runs, accumulating 348 extra-base hits over 125 games.
On the defensive side, Detroit excels with a 3rd place ranking in WHIP (1.19), 10th in Quality Starts (49), 11th in ERA (3.82), and 12th in batting average against (.237). Tarik Skubal stands out, leading the team with 14 wins, 185 strikeouts, and an impressive ERA of 2.49 among starting pitchers. As of this writing, the Tigers have not confirmed their starting pitcher for Wednesday’s contest against the Cubs.
Cubs Lagging Offensively but Competitive on the Mound
The Cubs are positioned 17th in on-base percentage (.309), 20th in both slugging percentage (.384) and runs scored (522), and 24th in batting average (.234). Ian Happ leads the team with 22 home runs and 69 RBIs, while Seiya Suzuki and Michael Busch follow closely with 16 homers each; Suzuki also has 56 RBIs. Chicago has 10 players with RBIs between 20 and 69. They have hit 192 doubles, 23 triples, and 129 home runs, resulting in 344 extra-base hits in 125 games.
On the pitching front, Chicago ranks 5th in ERA (3.71), 10th in batting average allowed (.237), and WHIP (1.24), while sitting 12th in Quality Starts (47). Shota Imanaga leads in wins with 9 and has an ERA of 3.11, along with 137 strikeouts. For Wednesday’s game, Jameson Taillon will take the mound, bringing an 8-7 record with an ERA of 3.62 and 96 strikeouts this season.
Strategic Insights for Detroit Tigers vs. Chicago Cubs
With the Tigers emerging victorious in six of their last seven games, they have shown resilience, especially on the road against the Cubs, winning nine of their last 12 encounters in Chicago. In contrast, the Cubs have struggled, losing four of their last six matches. Detroit boasts the 11th best team ERA and ranks 3rd in WHIP, indicating a solid pitching performance overall. While the Tigers have yet to announce their starting pitcher for Wednesday, the Cubs will rely on Jameson Taillon. Despite his respectable season record, Taillon has endured two disappointing outings recently, allowing 14 hits and nine runs over just 11 innings—one of which included a victory against the Chicago White Sox and a subsequent defeat to the Cleveland Guardians. Both teams, with identical records of 61-64, sit fourth in their respective divisions, making this matchup a pivotal moment for both franchises. The outcome may hinge on the current pitching struggles of Chicago’s Taillon.
