:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/3094908/GYI0065232986.jpg)
Nobody was rooting for the Boston Red Sox harder on Thursday than the Detroit Tigers were. The Red Sox's series win over the Chicago White Sox put the Tigers in prime position to take over the lead in the AL Central, with the White Sox coming to Comerica Park for the three game set starting on Friday.
The Tigers are currently 1.5 games out of first place going into the series and are riding a bit of a hot streak after defeating the Los Angeles Angels in their last series.
Game one of the series will feature a top tier pitching match up. Ace Justin Verlander (10-5, 2.43 ERA) will take the mound for the Tigers while the White Sox will send Jake Peavy (7-6, 3.12 ERA) out. Both pitchers have played fantastic strikeout games this season with Verlander sitting on 136 punch-outs and Peavy at 113.
Detroit and Chicago are 4-4 in meetings against each other this season, though the Tigers have been quite good against the Sox in recent seasons at home.
The game will be at Comerica Park at 7:05 p.m. ET.
For more on the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox, head over to their respective SB Nation blogs at Bless You Boys and South Side Sox. More news and analysis on the MLB world can be found over at Baseball Nation.