All-Star Casey Mize will look to extend his August winning streak to four as the Detroit Tigers open a three-game home series against the Kansas City Royals on Friday.
Mize has benefitted from strong run support, as the Tigers have pushed across 23 runs in the right-hander’s three August starts.
In his latest outing, Mize allowed four runs on four hits and a walk in 6 1/3 innings while tying his career high with 10 strikeouts in an 8-5 win over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday.
“I felt like I was on the same page with Ding (catcher Dillon Dingler) all game,” Mize said. “Ding made some calls that were things I wouldn’t normally do, but he clicked the right buttons, and we got out of at-bats by doing some different things.”
Mize (12-4, 3.63 ERA) needed to change things up because he faced the Twins 12 days earlier. He gave up three solo homers in his Aug. 4 start, but he was pleased about the rematch despite allowing a three-run fifth inning.
“I felt like my stuff was sharp,” Mize said. “I was commanding the ball really well with everything. I was able to get pitches in on right-handed hitters, and I executed some fastballs at the bottom rail. I didn’t leave too many splitters up, and I executed the sliders.”
Manager A.J. Hinch expressed similar feelings.
“I thought he was really good,” Hinch said. “He was emptying his tank early, and he still had a lot left at the end, which I was really happy with. He had a really good fastball (Saturday), and his misses were small. He executed a lot and didn’t ride the emotions of all the (runners) left on base. He didn’t put any more pressure on himself.”
Mize is 3-2 with a 4.99 ERA in 12 career starts against the Royals. He beat them with 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball on April 26, then got a no-decision at Kansas City on May 30 after permitting three runs in 3 1/3 innings.
The Tigers are feeling very good about themselves heading into the series. They have won nine of their last 11, including a three-game sweep of the Houston Astros this week in which they gave up just two runs total.
Mize’s mound opponent, rookie right-hander Ryan Bergert (1-1, 2.75 ERA), will be making his fourth start since being acquired from the San Diego Padres at the trade deadline. He is 0-1 with a 2.70 ERA for the Royals.
Bergert gave up two runs (one earned) and six hits in 5 1/3 innings during a no-decision against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.
“I’ve kind of just been rolling, doing what I’ve been doing since I was called up this year,” he said. “Kind of going straight at hitters, trying not to give in at any point and make good pitches.”
Bergert has lasted into the sixth inning in each of his starts since the trade.
“He’s pitched against some good teams when he was with the Padres, and we’ve thrown him right into the fire in big spots with us as well,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “The stuff, you can tell when you watch, but then you watch the way hitters react to his stuff, and that’s exciting.”
Kansas City has climbed within two games of the final American League wild-card spot by winning eight of its past 10 games. First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino continued his power surge on Thursday, blasting a homer for the fourth straight game as the Royals downed the Texas Rangers 6-4.
The first-place Tigers hold a 9 1/2-game lead over the now second-place Royals in the AL Central.
–Field Level Media
