The Detroit Tigers will wait to play.
The Tigers postponed Tuesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park due to the forecast of inclement weather. There wasn’t any rain at the ballpark at the time of the postponement. The Tigers and Pirates are scheduled to play a straight doubleheader Wednesday, beginning at 12:40 p.m.
For the doubleheader, Game 2 will start approximately 40 minutes after the conclusion of Game 1.
The Tigers will start left-hander Tarik Skubal in Game 1 of the doubleheader. They didn’t announce their Game 2 starter, but it’s expected to be right-hander Matt Manning as the 27th player for the doubleheader.
Manning, who hasn’t pitched since May 19, has served as the 27th player in each of the previous three doubleheaders. He has a 4.88 ERA in five starts with the Tigers this season, also posting a 3.79 ERA in four games with Triple-A Toledo.
The Pirates, meanwhile, will start right-hander Jared Jones in Game 1 and right-hander Paul Skenes in Game 2. They’re two of the best young pitchers in baseball, both relying on high-velocity fastballs with an ability to get whiffs on secondary pitches.
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Both pitchers are in their rookie seasons.
Jones, 22, has a 3.05 ERA in 10 starts; Skenes, who turns 22 on Wednesday, has a 2.25 ERA in three starts. Jones averages 97.3 mph with his fastball; Skenes averages 99.4 mph with his fastball.
“It’s no secret what they have and what they’re doing,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “Just watch one video of them. You see the elite arm and the challenge fastball style of pitching. We’ll need to do a fast study on them because this is not a group that we see a lot, nor is it a style that we see a lot. Teams are generally throwing a ton of secondary stuff at us. That is not how they pitch. We got to get ready for the fastball.”
The Tigers and Pirates will play their entire two-game series Wednesday, followed by the Tigers traveling to Boston to begin a seven-game road trip with four games against the Red Sox (May 30-June 2) that wraps up in Texas with three games against the Rangers (June 3-5).
The Tigers — riding a three-game winning streak in their City Connect uniforms — haven’t played since Sunday’s 14-11 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
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Next up: Pirates
Matchup: Tigers (26-27) vs. Pittsburgh (25-29), straight doubleheader.
First pitch: Game 1, 12:40 p.m. Wednesday, Game 2 about 40 minutes at conclusion of Game 1; Comerica Park, Detroit.
TV/radio: Bally Sports Detroit; WXYT-FM (97.1).
Probable pitchers: Game 1, Tigers — Tarik Skubal (6-1, 2.25 ERA); Pirates — RHP Jared Jones (3-4, 3.05). Game 2, Tigers — TBA; Pirates — RHP Paul Skenes (1-0, 2.25).
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