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The Detroit Tigers missed a chance for a sweep over the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night, but they'll still enter Wednesday's game with a chance to clinch the series and move on the ALCS. The first order of business will be awakening their bats, which mustered just four hits and no runs off Oakland's pitching in the loss.
The Tigers will be facing rookie A.J. Griffin, who had a stellar rookie season despite tailing off towards the end of the season. It's that late-season slide that may give Tigers fans some optimism, as in three of Griffin's final four starts, he lasted less than five innings and gave up four earned runs or more. That included a start in Detroit where he gave up five earned runs in 4.2 innings, and a start in the final game of the season against the Texas Rangers in which he gave up four earned runs in 2.2 innings.
Detroit will trot out Max Scherzer, who threw four innings in Detroit's regular season finale after coming back from shoulder and ankle injuries, the latter of which was suffered during the Tigers' division title celebration. The shoulder injury was sustained in a game against Oakland on Sept. 18, but Scherzer has reportedly fully recovered from that.
Wednesday night's game will start at 9:37 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on TNT.