Game #59 Preview: Stripling vs Skubal

After losing the game yesterday that they in no way should have lost, the Blue Jays will look to avoid losing the series against the Tigers this afternoon. The game is set to get underway at 1:40 ET, and if you’re not in a blackout area, this game is MLB.tv’s free game of the day.

Blue Jays’ Starter

Ross Stripling maintains his residency in the rotation with Hyun Jin Ryu on the IL, and his first step back into the practice was very good. Against the Royals last Monday, Stripling threw 5 shutout innings, allowing just 1 hit while striking out 2. He was great at limiting some hard contact, although he also used the entirety of the field to his success.

His season numbers now over 37 innings are pretty strong, evenly mixed between starting and the bullpen. He has a 2-1 record with a 3.65 ERA and a great 3.17 FIP. As a starter, his FIP is 2.83, as he has done a great job limiting walks when he starts.

Tigers’ Starter

Getting the ball for the Tigers is their Ace Tarik Skubal. The left hander is having a breakout year, and finds himself second to Kevin Gausman in a few of the big stats that Gausman is leading. Skubal has the second best FIP in baseball at 2.10, leading to the second best fWAR at 2.4. His 2.33 ERA is 10th best in baseball as well. In 65.2 innings, he has 70 strikeouts against just 10 walks, and he has allowed only 3 home runs all year. After pitching to a 4.57 ERA and a 5.20 FIP over his first 181.1 career innings before this year, he has certainly broken out.

Blue Jays’ Lineup

Matt Chapman continues to deal with a wrist issue.

Tigers’ Lineup

Yesterday’s Heroes

Mike Trout returned to the lineup yesterday, and immediately made his presence known. He went 3-4 with a pair of home runs, driving in 3 and scoring 3 to take home the Monster Bat award. His big day helped his Angels to the 11-6 win over the Mets.

Tommy Edman hit a 2-out, 2-run home run in the bottom of the 9th, giving his Cardinals the 5-4 win over the Reds, and giving Edman the WPA King trophy with a .737 mark.

Jordan Montgomery threw 7 shutout innings yesterday, allowing 5 hits and no walks while striking out 5 to bring home the Pitcher of the Day award. He also got the win, as his Yankees demolished the Cubs 8-0.

Find the Link

Find the link between Tarik Skubal and Johnny Estrada.

Stats retrieved from Fangraphs and Baseball Savant