Game 35 Preview: Tigers look to seize series from Rangers on Sunday

The Detroit Tigers evened up their weekend home series against the Texas Rangers on Saturday night with a 5-1 victory. Keider Montero gave the good guys 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball, while Dillon Dingler’s three-run shot in the opening frame was enough to earn the W.

Sunday night, the two teams will duke it out one more time at Comerica Park in the series rubber match. With Casey Mize on the injured list with a groin injury, left-handed reliever Tyler Holton will start on the mound in what we can assume is an opener role.

So far in 2026, Holton has averaged exactly one inning per outing while entering the game in the seventh or later in 10 of his 13 appearances. Through his first seven games, he allowed zero runs on just four hits and four walks while striking out five over seven frames; he has put up a 12.00 ERA with an 8.14 FIP while giving up 13 hits (two home runs) and four walks over his last six appearances.

Meanwhile, Texas sends fellow struggling southpaw Jack Leiter to the bump, who has given his team at least five innings in five of his six starts. However, after beginning the season having given up just three runs in 11 innings, he has put up an ERA of 6.64 and FIP of 6.53 over the last 20 1/3 frames.

The last time Leiter faced the Tigers was in his major league debut on April 4, 2023, in Detroit, which saw him surrender seven runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out three over 3 2/3 frames in a 9-7 Texas loss.