The Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays are both trying to get their records back to the .500 mark heading into a three-game series at the Rogers Centre

Detroit Tigers at Toronto Blue Jays

Detroit rides in on a three-game winning streak and will be seeking its first four-game tear of the season in Friday’s opener.  The Tigers had lost seven straight games before their current streak.  One of the victories came in a solid 6-3 win over the Yankees on Thursday afternoon, as the club outscored the Bronx Bombers 14-5 over the final three games of the home series.  “Hopefully it gives us some more confidence playing a team like the Yankees and beating them three out of four,” said Brennan Boesch.  “I think we’re going to play with some momentum and some more passion and get some wins on the road.”  Detroit is 6-10 on the road this season.

Tigers starting pitcher Phil Coke will be making his eight appearance (sixth start) of the season tonight, coming in with a 1-4 record and 4.50 ERA, but opponents are hitting just .237 against him.  The left-hander is coming off a solid six-inning performance on the road against the Indians, giving up just two runs and four hits over six innings.  Detroit has failed to pick up a victory in his last three starts and has been outscored 25-10 in the process.  Coke will be facing the Blue Jays for the 11th time (first start) in his career, coming in with an even 1-1 record and 1.17 ERA, giving up just a single run in 7.2 innings.

Toronto failed to drop its 12th consecutive series at Tropicana Field with a listless 3-1 defeat to Tampa Bay on Thursday.  The Blue Jays will likely be without starters Jose Bautista (neck) and Aaron Hill (hamstring), which is a major blow to the offense.  “It’s all positive signs right now,” said manager John Farrell.  Bautista has missed the past three games after hitting an AL-best .357 with nine home runs.  The club has been involved in plenty of close contests early in the season, as 21 of Toronto’s 31 games this season have been decided by two runs or less.  The team is 10-13 versus right-handed starters this season.

Blue Jays starting pitcher Jesse Litsch enters with an even 2-2 mark and 4.60 ERA and is coming off a sub-par performance last time out.  The right-hander dropped a 5-2 road contest to the Yankees, giving up five earned runs and six hits over six innings of work, including two home runs.  Litsch will be making his fourth career start versus the Tigers, bringing in a 0-1 record and 3.44 ERA.  He has a winning record in his career at home, posting a 11-10 mark and 3.66 ERA in 28 starts.

Bettors will likely back the Blue Jays due to their 5-0 record in home games after a road trip of seven or more days, while the Tigers are 18-39 on the road.