Tigers Vs. Royals: Detroit Seeks .500 Record For 1st Time Since May

It's been quite a while since the Detroit Tigers had a record at or above .500. May 15 saw the Tigers at 18-18 and it's been downhill since. Two months later their record is 41-42 and they have a chance to get back to the mid-level record when they face the Kansas City Royals on Friday, kicking off a three-game set before the All-Star Break.

Detroit is currently 4.5 games back in the AL Central with the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox both streaking ahead of them; taking a hot streak into the All-Star game as well as a .500 or above record won't hurt their chances of catching up in the second half of the year.

The pitching match up will feature two left-handers, the latest in a series of lefties that the Tigers have faced. Jonathan Sanchez (1-4, 6.80 ERA) will start the game for the Royals while the Tigers will put rookie Drew Smyly (3-3, 4.54 ERA) on the mound.

The game will be at Comerica Park at 7:05 p.m. ET.

For more on the Detroit Tigers and the Kansas City Royals, check out their respective SB Nation blogs at Bless You Boys and Royals Review. More news and analysis on MLB can be found over at Baseball Nation and at SB Nation's YouTube channel: