Game 33 Preview: Tigers open up May with home series vs. Rangers

The Detroit Tigers return to Comerica Park to host the Texas Rangers on Friday after a 4-5 interleague swing that concluded with a 5-2 victory in the finale against the Braves in Atlanta on Thursday to prevent a sweep.

This weekend’s series opens up a six-game homestand that has the Boston Red Sox coming to town for the second leg of the stretch. But first things first — the Rangers arrive in the D just a half-game behind the Tigers in the overall standings with one less win in one fewer game played, placing them firmly in the middle of the American League West standings.

Detroit, on the other hand, is knotted up with the Cleveland Guardians atop the AL Central Division, both at an even 16-16 mark. It is still early in the season — summer has not even arrived yet — but it feels good to see the Motor City Kitties on top of things regardless of the time of year.

More good news: the Tigers are a tidy 10-2 at home so far this season against a brutal 6-14 record on the road; on the other hand, they are just 5-6 against fellow AL foes, but all five wins did come within the comfortable confines of Comerica Park.

So it seems that the odds are stacked in favor of the Olde English D, which hopefully bodes well for Friday night’s starter, right-hander Jack Flaherty, who has struggled significantly over his last two appearances – both notably on the road. The last time he faced Texas was last year on May 10, when he gave up five runs on four hits (all four home runs!) and two walks while striking out four over three innings in the loss.

For the visitors, left-hander will climb the hill for his first appearance against the Tigers as a Ranger. The 27-year-old has struggled mightily over his last three starts, posting a 6.14 ERA and 5.50 FIP over 14 2/3 innings — a stretch that saw him allow 16 hits (three home runs) and 10 walks while striking out a whopping 17 batters.