Dodgers Bring Ohtani's 30 Homers to Comerica for Friday Showdown
An 80-54 Dodgers squad rolls into Detroit to face a Tigers team sitting at 62-71, and the gap in the standings tells only part of the story. Tonight's 6:40 PM ET first pitch at Comerica Park has genuine intrigue — because Detroit's lineup is not without teeth.
Los Angeles is expected to send Tarik Skubal to the mound, and that name alone should command attention from Tigers fans who know what a quality left arm looks like. Skubal is projected to start against a Detroit offense that will need to find answers early if it wants to make this a real ballgame. On the other side, Drew Anderson is set to take the mound for the Tigers — a significant ask against a Dodgers lineup that features Shohei Ohtani sitting at 30 home runs and 80 RBI on the season, plus Freddie Freeman hitting a clean .300. That is a murderer's row at the top of the order, and Anderson will need to be precise.
The Tigers are not without their own offensive identity, though. Dillon Dingler has been a legitimate surprise — 26 home runs and 82 RBI is a line that demands respect regardless of the opponent. In fact, Dingler's RBI total actually edges Ohtani's, which is the kind of detail that gets lost when a small-market team plays host to a superstar-laden road club. Kevin McGonigle adds a .278 average to give Detroit some contact at the top of the order. The Tigers can score. The question is whether they can score enough against a Dodgers roster built for October.
Our model does not have a validated read on this game tonight, so no lean is being pushed here — and that honesty matters. What the numbers do tell us plainly: the Dodgers are a 26-game-over-.500 club with one of the most dangerous hitters on the planet, and Detroit is fighting to stay relevant in a crowded standings picture. This is a winnable game for the Tigers at home, but they will need Dingler to stay hot and Anderson to limit the big inning. Comerica Park, 6:40 PM ET, on MLB.TV, SportsNet LA, and Tigers.TV — this one is worth watching.