(Sports Network) - The Detroit Tigers take aim at their eight straight win this evening when they open a set against the Toronto Blue Jays at Comerica Park.
The Tigers should have an excellent chance to keep rolling today, as they hand the ball to red-hot right-hander Max Scherzer, who is vying to become the first seven-game winner in the majors this season.
Scherzer is a perfect 6-0 with a 3.20 ERA and has struck out 51 batters in 50 2/3 innings. On Monday, he allowed two earned runs in five innings of a win over Toronto. Scherzer has gone at least five innings in each of his eight starts this season and has more strikeouts (51) than hits allowed (48).
"When the Tigers win, I'm happy," Scherzer said after the win. "I just really wasn't sharp today. I didn't really have command of any of my pitches.
"I haven't really looked at the film yet to decipher what went wrong tonight, but that [release point] could be it. At the same time, I was able to battle and get through five and at least give the team a chance to win."
Scherzer has beaten the Blue Jays both times he has faced them and has pitched to a 2.08 ERA in those contests.
The Tigers did not have a chance to extend their winning streak on Sunday, as the finale of their set with the Kansas City Royals was postponed due to rain. A win tonight, though, would give Detroit its first eight-game winning streak since April 29-May 8, 2007.
Victor Martinez has been the driving force behind the Tigers' recent offensive attack and enters tonight's contest riding a 13-game hitting streak, during which he is hitting .468. He's also hitting .500 over the course of Detroit's winning streak with a pair of home runs and 14 RBI.
Hoping to slow Martinez and the Tigers down tonight will be rookie right- hander Kyle Drabek, who is 2-2 with a 4.81 ERA, but is winless in his last three starts. Drabek was roughed up by the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday, as he surrendered four runs and eight hits in five innings.
This will be his first-ever appearance against the Tigers.
On Sunday, Jose Bautista clubbed three home runs to lead Toronto to an 11-3 win over the Minnesota Twins. Bautista hit solo shots in the third and fourth and added a two-run homer in the sixth inning to increase his MLB-leading total to 16, as the Jays completed a three-game sweep and won for the fifth time overall.
Bautista hit five home runs in the series and went 7-for-14 with seven RBI.
"Just trying to get ready on time, see the ball well and look for something over the plate and try to hit it hard," Bautista said. "I got plenty of pitches to do that this series."
Brandon Morrow (2-2) gave up three runs on five hits with two walks and eight strikeouts in five innings and took the win.
Detroit took three of four from the Jays earlier in the season after the teams split eight games a year ago.