The Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers are playing an AL Central division game on Thursday afternoon and the matchup is streaming online from MLB.com and is live from Comerica Park as Cy Young winner Max Scherzer takes the hill for the Tigers and they are looking up at the Sox in the standings right now in the division as the game gets started up at 1:08 pm ET.
The White Sox were one of the worst teams in the league last season and they have been playing much better this year and now they are in second place early on in the central and they can push that lead over the other teams with a win on the road. The central is shaping up to be one of the best divisions in baseball in April, as the White Sox are second and the Tigers are winners from last season, while the Indians are in fifth but right there, while the Twins appear to be much improved heading into the back stretch of the schedule this month.
The Tigers come into the game after a tough loss to the White Sox and they took the lead at one point in that game after Austin Jackson hit a home run and that lasted for a little while, but eventually Marcus Semien took it into his own hands and hit a grand slam in the game and that put the team up for good. Jose Abreu has been another great Cuban import and he has seven home runs this season and three in the last four games and he has been very hot and the Tigers will have to watch out for him as Scherzer takes the mound.
Scherzer is on the front cover of Sports Illustrated this month and it details his decision to turn down a $144 million extension from the Tigers. Scherzer won the Cy Young last season and he is a free agent after this year and is now on a one year deal worth $15 million and as a Scott Boras client, expect the duo to ask for a ton in the offseason. The Tigers have money with owner Mike Illitch and he has been spending it in droves, as Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera's extensions are some of the biggest contracts in baseball. Scherzer is looking to win his fourth straight start against the White Sox at home and the Tigers would love to snap that before playing on the road against the Twins at Target Field on Friday.
The Tigers are 10-8 on the season, while the White Sox are 11-11 and Chicago comes in hitting the ball very well, as they are ranked in the top 10 in the league across the board in major categories. The team is ranked fifth in batting average and on base percentage and they are in the top three in runs and slugging percentage.
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