Detroit Tigers at Cincinnati Reds: What time and TV channel is today's series finale on?
Ryan FordDetroit Tigers (41-48) at Cincinnati Reds (42-47)
When: 1:40 p.m. Sunday.
Where: Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
TV: Bally Sports Detroit. (Have Xfinity but still looking for a way to watch BSD? Here are some other options.)
Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1). (Tigers radio affiliates).
Probable pitchers: Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal (9-3, 2.45 ERA) vs. Reds RHP Graham Ashcraft (5-4, 5.45).
Weather: Sunnyy and mid 80s.
Tigers lineup: TBD.
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Game notes: We’ll finally get the answer to the question of the month: Is Riley Greene an American League All-Star? The entire squad — including, we’re all but certain, Tigers teammate Tarik Skubal — will be announced (along with the NL squad, of course) on ESPN at 5:30 p.m. Greene entered Saturday with 3.7 bWAR, good for fourth among all AL outfielders, and just behind Skubal’s 3.9 bWAR for tops on the Tigers. But the AL outfield could be crowded, with New York’s Aaron Judge and Juan Soto and Cleveland’s Steven Kwan already voted in as starters. Boston’s Jarren Duran, with 4.7 bWAR, appears to be a lock as well.
But before then, Greene will take on the Reds and Graham Ashcraft. The third-year right-hander has made it past the fifth inning just three times in nine starts since the beginning of May. Over that span, he has posted a 6.14 ERA with 29 strikeouts and 17 walks in 44 innings. Somehow, he has been both wild — with six hit-by-pitches to go with the walks — and around the strike zone, allowing 53 hits ,including six homers, resulting in a gnarly .290/.367/.448 slash line against over the past two months.
Skubal has had few such issues this season — his bWAR total is fourth among AL starters and his ERA and WHIP (0.932) are third, making him a candidate to start the Midsummer Classic on July 16. The lefty is coming off a no-decision in Minnesota in which he allowed three runs in six innings while striking out seven. Skubal has been a bit homer-prone lately, however; after allowing four longballs in his first 12 starts, he has been touched for four in his past four starts.
Greene, too, is riding a hot streak (despite his 0-for-3 performance on Saturday). He’s sporting a .421 average with an .895 SLUGGING percentage this month, thanks to a pair of near-cycles this week. He fell a double short on Wednesday against the Twins, then needed only a triple Friday night in Cincinnati.
After today’s series finale, the Tigers finally return home to host the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians for four games beginning Monday, and then finish the first half with a three-game set at Comerica Park against the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers. Gulp. The Reds, meanwhile, get a slightly easier test, with NL West cellar-dwelling Colorado coming to town for four games beginning Monday and then NL East cellar-dwelling Miami closing out the first half.
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Live updates
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Contact Ryan Ford atrford@freepress.com. Follow him on X (which used to be Twitter, y’know?)@theford. Read more on theDetroit Tigers and sign up for ourTigers newsletter.