Game 2 Preview

Detroit Tigers (1-0) vs. Minnesota Twins (0-1)

Time: 4:10 EST at Target Field (Fox Sports Detroit, Tigers Radio Network)

Pitching Matchup: Anibal Sanchez (9-13, 3.86 ERA in 2012)
                                        vs.
                                 Kevin Correia (12-11, 4.21 ERA in 2012)

     Game two of this opening series also features a returning member of the Detroit Tigers' rotation taking on a new face to the Twins organization.  Kevin Correia came to Minnesota after spending the entirety of his career to datein the National League. He had a strong start last season for this Pittsburgh Pirates which helped them jump out to seem like NL Central contenders at the All-Star Break, however, like the rest of the 2012 Pirates squad, he fizzled out down the stretch and ended with very average numbers. Correia features an average fastball and good enough secondary stuff to have lasted ten years in the big leagues.  His ground ball and fly ball percentages are about even which sometimes leads to trouble with giving up the home run.  Look for the Tigers to get their first home run of the season off of him on Thursday.
   
     Anibal Sanchez had himself an all around rough spring.  He left camp early on for the World Baseball Classic to be Team Venezuela's number 1 starter. His start in the WBC only lasted one inning and he gave up 2 runs.  He would not be called on again as Venezuela exited in the first round.  Upon returning to Tigers camp this spring Sanchez continued to struggle with consistency. He didn't command the ball well, leaving to many pitches and got knocked around a bit. His command seemed to come around a bit towards the end of spring before getting rocked in his last spring start. Sanchez will look to establish some consistency and tame his spring struggles as he enters into a season of meaningful baseball. It will be interesting to see how he handles a Twins lineup he should be able to handle.

Keys to Victory: 

• Limit the Base on Balls: It is critical for Sanchez to limit the number of walks he allows tomorrow. The weather should be 20 degrees warmer than the opener on Monday, so weather won;t be an excuse for not having a "feel" for the ball which creates control issues. Sanchez would do well to get deep into this game as the Bullpen had to pitch 4 innings Monday, and long man Drew Smyly, threw about 50 pitches which makes him unavailable for game 2.
• Keep the bases clear for Morneau/Mauer/Willingham: Again, like last game, these three are really the only members of a weak Twins lineup that can consistently hurt a pitcher if they make mistakes.  Mistakes happen from time to time, so it's crucial that the bases be clear in front of this trio in order to ensure a mistake doesn't cost the Tigers 2 or 3 runs.

Prediction:

     

     Again, I like the Tigers in this game based on the matchups. I anticipate the Tigers getting their first couple of home runs in an 8-4 victory tomorrow afternoon. Sanchez pitches good enough to get the W and Victor Martinez drives in 3 en route to player of the game honors. 

     As I said earlier, the Twins lineup will be posted as soon as it is released and I have time to update this post! What do you guys see happening, and who do you have as Game 2 player of the game!