Pregame
Scott Baker takes the mound for the Twins this afternoon, looking to make it four consecutive quality starts in a row. The strikeouts haven't been there the last couple of games, but the bottom line is that he's gotten the job done consistently. On the back of Francisco Liriano's start last night, hopefully the team can build on a bit of momentum and string together a few wins in a row.
Taking the hill for the Tigers will be Justin Verlander. It's been a rough year for the 25-year old right-hander, but to be fair he just hasn't been himself. From May 14 - July 20 he made 13 starts, and it was the only time this summer he's been consistently good--10 quality starts and 25 earned runs over 87.2 innings. Outside of that frame he's been remarkably...well, unremarkable. His last start was his shortest of the year, as he lasted just one and two thirds against the Yankees, surrendering eight runs.