In search of a breakout performance offensively after being shut down in the first two games, the Detroit Tigers will hope to reverse their fortunes at Fenway Park in the series finale with the Red Sox on Wednesday evening.
Detroit hitters should look to feast on 33-year-old veteran Aaron Cook in game three, a right-hander who will be making his eighth start of 2012 with Boston after coming over from Colorado via free agency this offseason. Cook has been hammered for a 4.73 ERA in four home starts this year, however, and remains one of the least productive pitchers in the American League when it comes to recording strikeouts.
With Rick Porcello on the mound for manager Jim Leyland after both Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer failed to produce victories, the Tigers know they can't slip up with an extremely daunting schedule looming large. Because after wrapping up play in Boston and then making a weekend stop in Cleveland, the Tigers are set to face two of their biggest non-divisional adversaries in the Yankees and Texas over a brutal seven-game span.
Here are Wednesday's lineups:
Tigers
1. Austin Jackson - CF
2. Quintin Berry - LF
3. Miguel Cabrera - 3B
4. Prince Fielder - 1B
5. Brennan Boesch - RF
6. Delmon Young - DH
7. Alex Avila - C
8. Jhonny Peralta - SS
9. Ramon Santiago - 2B
Rick Porcello - SP
Red Sox
1. Jacoby Ellsbury - CF
2. Carl Crawford - LF
3. Dustin Pedroia - 2B
4. Adrian Gonzalez - 1B
5. Cody Ross - DH
6. Jarrod Saltalamacchia - C
7. Will Middlebrooks - 3B
8. Ryan Kalish - RF
9. Pedro Ciriaco - SS
Aaron Cook - SP
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