The Washington Nationals and Detroit Tigers are playing live on the MLB Grapefruit League schedule on Tuesday and the matchup from Joker Marchant Stadium starts up past 1:05 pm ET and has two teams that expect to be in the playoffs this year in the AL and NL as the division winners matchup.
The Tigers are coming into the game after a loss to the St. Louis Cardinals and they will next play against the Pirates on the schedule. The team comes in after going to the playoffs once again and they were one of the best offensive teams in the league last year. The Tigers pitching was not as good as expected last season and now with Max Scherzer gone, the team needs David Price to step up and Justin Verlander to bounce back.
The Nationals come into the game after winning over the Houston Astros and they will next play on the road against the Marlins. The Nats are considered to be one of the best teams in the NL and they have as stacked a rotation as anyone has ever seen with Scherzer signing a big deal. The team was ranked in the top 10 in scoring and on base percentage and they were 12th in batting average last season and they are looking to be even better this year.
The Nationals pitching was their main strength and they likely will try and push that again with Scherzer coming in. The team was ranked first in the league in ERA and they also were second in quality starts and second in WHIP. Verlander is looking to have a rebound year for the Tigers, as he was not as good as usual last season and at 32 he could be starting to slip. Verlander signed a massive deal that runs through 2019 and he has an option for 2020.
Verlander has logged a ton of innings in the past and his issues and the fact that Scherzer could leave were reasons why the team went after David Price. Verlander went 15-12 and had a 4.54 ERA in 206 innings pitched and his strikeouts were down from where they were over the past couple years. The team is expecting him to bounce back and they also have Price, who is heading for free agency and could be a potential trade chip at the deadline.
The team needs Verlander and Price to step up, as the team traded Rick Porcello in the offseason for Yoenis Cespedes. The team has depth but they need strong play at the top.
Check here for the Washington Nationals and Detroit Tigers live coverage.
