Baltimore Orioles vs Detroit Tigers Picks and Predictions September 20th 2024

Corbin Burnes and the Orioles (85-68) are the heavy favorites heading into Friday’s matchup vs. the Tigers, with the money line odds sitting at -199. Detroit comes in with a record of 80-73 and they are 3rd in the AL Central. The over/under line is currently at 7.5 runs.

Keider Montero is starting for the Tigers, who are currently on a four-game winning streak. APLTV will be televising Friday’s Tigers vs. Orioles matchup, and the forecast in Baltimore calls for clear skies and temperatures in the low 80s.

Detroit vs. Baltimore Key Information

Keider Montero gets the start for the Tigers today as he faces the Orioles on the road. So far, he has made 15 starts and has a record of 6-6. Montero’s ERA is 4.60, along with a WHIP of 1.27. In his 16 appearances, he has one complete game shutout and four quality starts. Looking back at his last outing, Montero went five innings, picking up the win and not allowing a run. He only gave up one hit in that outing. Montero has won each of his last two starts.

Heading into today’s game, the Tigers are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 18th in the league. They have been slightly better on the road, averaging 4.4 runs per game. Detroit has struggled in terms of home runs, as they are just 21st in the league in that category. As a team, the Tigers are batting .235, which is 16th in the league.

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Riley Greene has been the Tigers’ best power hitter this season, as his 24 home runs are the most on the team. He is also leading the team with 71 RBIs. Greene has four homers in his last eight games, although he is batting just .250 during that stretch. Colt Keith comes into the game on a four-game hitting streak and is batting .264 for the season.

Corbin Burnes will be looking to build off his last outing, where he didn’t give up a run and picked up the win. In that outing vs. the Tigers, he went seven innings, giving up just two hits and one walk. Looking back further, Burnes has turned in a quality start in three of his last four outings. For the season, he has a total of 21 quality starts and a record of 14-8. Burnes’ ERA for the season is an impressive 3.06, along with a WHIP of 1.12. Opposing batters are hitting .215 off the right-hander this season.

As a team, the Orioles are 2nd in home runs this season and are also among the league’s best offenses in terms of slugging percentage and OPS. Baltimore is averaging 4.8 runs per game, which is good for 7th in the league. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5 runs per contest.

Gunnar Henderson and Anthony Santander are the Orioles’ top home run hitters this season, with 37 and 42 homers, respectively. Santander leads the team with 97 RBIs, while Henderson is 2nd at 87. Henderson comes into the game with a batting average of .282 and has gone 7/24 in his last six games, including one home run. Santander has also gone deep once in his last six games but is just 3/23 in that stretch.

For a money-line pick, we would be leaning toward taking the Tigers to come out on top. And as for how we would play the over/under line, we would go with the over, as this is projected to be the 9th highest-scoring game of today’s 15-game slate. However, this one isn’t expected to feature a ton of hits, as it has the 4th lowest combined hits projection. Between the two starters, we have Corbin Burnes as the better strikeout option.

Tigers and Orioles Face Off in Series with Playoff Implications

The Baltimore Orioles entered this season hoping to battle for the American League East title. However, with the season winding down, their focus has shifted to holding onto a playoff spot. Meanwhile, the surging Detroit Tigers have thrust themselves into the thick of the postseason race, making their upcoming three-game series in Baltimore critical for both teams.

The series, which begins Friday night, has major playoff implications for both clubs, with each vying for one of the coveted American League wild-card spots. Baltimore (85-68) sits in the top wild-card slot, but they find themselves trailing the New York Yankees by four games in the AL East. They’ll need to gain ground quickly if they hope to keep their division title hopes alive when they face the Yankees next week.

Detroit (80-73), on the other hand, is coming off a hot streak, having swept the Kansas City Royals and winning five of their last six games. The Tigers are tied with the Minnesota Twins for the third and final AL wild-card spot, making this series a vital opportunity to solidify their playoff push.

Orioles Seek to Build on Momentum

After a tough stretch in which the Orioles won only three of 11 games, they received a much-needed boost on Thursday with a walk-off victory over the San Francisco Giants. Anthony Santander’s two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth sealed the 5-3 win, and Baltimore hopes that moment of magic can carry over into this pivotal series against Detroit.

“It was a good win to kind of build into these few series that are probably really important,” said Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday.

With just nine games remaining in the regular season, the Orioles need to string together wins not only to ensure a playoff berth but to have something meaningful at stake when they visit the Yankees next week. Baltimore’s offense, which has struggled to consistently produce runs, will need to find its rhythm if they hope to stay in contention.

“We need that win right there,” Santander said after his walk-off heroics. “We need that momentum for next week.”

Tigers Ride Hot Streak into Baltimore

The Tigers are peaking at the right time. Fresh off a three-game sweep of the Royals and riding a four-game winning streak, Detroit has catapulted itself into the playoff conversation. Having won five of their last six games, the Tigers are playing some of their best baseball as they chase their first postseason appearance since 2014.

“First off, we believe,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said of his team’s playoff chances. “We come every day to try to win the game, and we are winning a lot.”

Detroit’s resurgence has been fueled by a resilient group of players, including pitcher Tarik Skubal, who reflected on the team’s ability to bounce back throughout the season.

“We’ve got a good group, a resilient group,” Skubal said. “I think if you just look at the season we’ve had.”

The Tigers have put themselves in a position where they can control their own destiny, especially with their strong performance on the road, where they’ve won six of their last seven games.

“We need to keep winning and hopefully we can control our own destiny down the stretch,” Skubal added.

Key Pitching Matchup: Burnes vs. Montero

Friday night’s game will feature two pitchers who were dominant in their last outings against these very same teams. For Baltimore, right-hander Corbin Burnes (14-8, 3.06 ERA) will take the mound. Burnes is coming off a stellar performance against the Tigers last Saturday, where he allowed just two hits over seven shutout innings in a 7-0 victory.

Burnes has been in strong form throughout September, allowing only three earned runs in 18 innings. This is a stark contrast to his struggles in August, where he gave up three or more runs in all five of his starts. Baltimore will be counting on Burnes to replicate his success and give them a strong chance to secure a win in the series opener.

“We ran the ball well Saturday when we had an equal number or half-man disadvantage,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said, referring to Burnes’ efficiency in limiting the Tigers’ offense last weekend.

The Tigers will counter with rookie right-hander Keider Montero (6-6, 4.60 ERA), who has been quietly putting together an impressive run. Montero has won five of his last six decisions and enters the game on a scoreless streak that spans 14 innings. He blanked the Orioles over five innings on Sunday, helping the Tigers to a 3-0 win. Prior to that, Montero threw a three-hit shutout against the Colorado Rockies.

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Detroit will be looking for Montero to keep up his excellent form as they chase a fifth consecutive victory and look to further cement their place in the wild-card race.

High Stakes and Playoff Hopes

For the Orioles, this series represents an opportunity to regain some of the momentum they’ve lost over the past few weeks and solidify their position as a playoff contender. Despite their recent struggles, Baltimore has shown that they can win in tight, emotional games, and they’ll need to rely on that resilience down the stretch.

For the Tigers, the stakes are equally high. With a wild-card spot within reach, Detroit knows that every game counts as they try to maintain their hot streak and stay in playoff contention. The team’s belief in themselves, combined with strong pitching and timely hitting, has them positioned to make a serious push for October baseball.

This series has suddenly taken on playoff-level importance, and both teams will be giving it everything they’ve got as they fight for a spot in the postseason.