Detroit Tigers vs Colorado Rockies Picks and Predictions September 10th 2024

The Rockies and Tigers face off in an interleague matchup at 6:40 PM ET at Comerica Park in Detroit. The Tigers are favored on the money line, with their odds sitting at -178, while the Rockies are +150 underdogs. The over/under line is currently at 8.5 runs.

Bradley Blalock will be starting for the Rockies, and he is facing off against Keider Montero for the Tigers. Montero and the Tigers are currently on a two-game winning streak, and they are 4th in the AL Central. The Rockies are 5th in the NL West and have an overall record of 54-90.

Colorado vs. Detroit Key Information

• Teams: Rockies at Tigers
• Where: Comerica Park Detroit
• Date: Tuesday, September 10th
• Betting Odds DET -178 | COL +150 O/U 8.5

The Rockies Can Win If…

Right-hander Bradley Blalock is starting for the Rockies today as he faces the Tigers on the road. He has made five starts this season and has a record of 1-2 with an ERA of 5.40. Blalock’s WHIP for the season is 1.69. In his last outing, he took the loss, giving up four earned runs in five innings of work. Looking back over his last three outings, Blalock has given up at least one homer in each start. His ERA at home is 7.54 compared to 3.84 on the road.

Michael Toglia has struggled with his batting average this season, hitting just .221, but he has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 7/25 in his last seven games with two homers. Toglia also leads the Rockies with 23 home runs. Brenton Doyle and Ezequiel Tovar are both batting .268 this season, with Doyle leading the team with 66 RBIs and Tovar 2nd with 64.

As a team, the Rockies are averaging 4.2 runs per game and have been better at home, averaging 5 runs per contest. Overall, they are 23rd in the league in scoring. Colorado is also near the bottom of the league in strikeouts and walks. For the season, they are batting .242 and have the league’s 13th best slugging percentage.

• The Rockies are 4-6 in their last ten games.
• Over their last five games, the Rockies are 3-2 vs. the run line.
• Colorado has an over/under record of 2-8 in their last ten games.
• The Rockies have an average of 2.8 runs per game over their last five games.
• Across their last ten road games, the Rockies are 4-6
• Looking back across the Rockies last five games as the favorite, they are 1-4
• Colorado has gone 2-1 in their last three games as the underdog
• In their ten most recent road games, the Rockies have averaged 2.9 runs per game on offense

The Tigers Can Win If…

Right-hander Keider Montero gets the start for the Tigers today as he faces off against the Rockies at home. He has made 13 starts this year and has a record of 4-6 with an ERA of 5.47. Montero’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.39. Looking back at his last outing, Montero finished with a no-decision against the Padres, giving up five earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of work. Before that outing, he had gone three straight starts without taking the loss. Montero has allowed at least one homer in each of his last three outings.

Heading into today’s game, the Tigers offense is averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 21st in the league. They have been a little better on the road, averaging 4.3 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting just .234 and have the league’s 19th ranked on-base percentage. Detroit’s offense has also been below average in terms of slugging percentage and OPS.

Riley Greene comes into the game as the Tigers’ leader in home runs (20) and RBIs (61). He is also batting .260 for the season. Colt Keith is on a six-game hitting streak and is also batting .260 for the season, while Matt Vierling is hitting .259 and has 16 homers.

• The Tigers are 5-5 in their last ten games.
• Over their last five games, the Tigers are 3-2 vs. the run line.
• Detroit has an over/under record of 4-6 in their last ten games.
• The Tigers have an average of 5.2 runs per game over their last five games.
• Across their last ten home games, the Tigers are 7-3
• Looking back across the Tigers last five games as the favorite, they are 3-2
• Detroit has gone 1-2 in their last three games as the underdog
• In their ten most recent road games, the Tigers have averaged 5.9 runs per game on offense

Tigers’ Momentum: Playoff Hopes Are Still Alive

The Detroit Tigers are making a strong push for the postseason, and as they open a critical three-game series against the Colorado Rockies, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The Tigers (73-71) are just 3 1/2 games behind the Minnesota Twins for the final AL wild-card spot, and with the struggling Rockies (54-90) coming to town, this series is a golden opportunity to close that gap.

Detroit enters this series on a high, having won three of their last four games, including two dominant victories over the Oakland A’s. On Sunday, they crushed the Athletics 9-1, thanks to a six-run eighth inning that blew the game wide open.

Manager A.J. Hinch was all smiles after Sunday’s win, noting his team’s knack for late-game offense. “The eighth inning has been kind to us almost the whole year,” he said, confident his team is ready to keep that momentum rolling against the Rockies.

Rookie Power: Sweeney and Meadows Step Up

The Tigers have been getting clutch performances from some of their young stars, including rookie shortstop Trey Sweeney, who had a breakout game on Sunday. Sweeney, who was acquired in a trade from the Dodgers at the deadline, notched four hits, including his first MLB home run, in what was easily his best performance since being called up from Triple-A Toledo.

Another rookie making waves is outfielder Parker Meadows, who has driven in nine runs over the past four games. His bat has added serious depth to the Tigers’ lineup, and his production couldn’t come at a better time as Detroit makes its late-season playoff push.

Keider Montero on the Mound: Searching for Stability

In Tuesday’s series opener, the Tigers will turn to rookie right-hander Keider Montero, who’s had a bit of an up-and-down season. Montero (4-6, 5.47 ERA) has struggled to go deep into games, and in his last start, he gave up five runs on seven hits in just 4 1/3 innings against the San Diego Padres.

Montero’s going to need to step up in this crucial start. He hasn’t lasted more than five innings in his last five outings, and with the Tigers needing to conserve their bullpen, they’ll be looking for a more efficient performance from him on Tuesday.

Rockies’ Blalock Takes the Mound: Looking for Control

On the other side, the Colorado Rockies will send rookie right-hander Bradley Blalock to the mound. Like Montero, Blalock (1-2, 5.40 ERA) has struggled with consistency in his first few starts with Colorado. Acquired from the Brewers last month, Blalock’s most recent start was a mixed bag—he allowed four runs in the first inning but settled down to throw four scoreless innings afterward.

Despite his ability to bounce back, Blalock’s six walks in that outing were concerning. Rockies manager Bud Black didn’t shy away from calling it out. “He battled, but six walks—that can’t happen at this level,” Black said. “It’s too much stress and pressure to handle if you go out there every fifth day and do that.”

Rockies’ Offense: Hilliard Heating Up

Offensively, the Rockies haven’t had much to cheer about this season, but they’re coming off a solid 4-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday. Sam Hilliard was the hero, launching a three-run homer that secured the victory.

Hilliard, who has shown flashes of power this season, was thrilled with his left-on-left home run against Brewers reliever Hoby Milner. “Not happy about a couple of my at-bats, the way they went,” Hilliard admitted. “But I was able to put a good swing on a ball there, left-on-left.”

While the Rockies are out of playoff contention, they’re still looking to play spoiler, and they’ll be hoping their offense can keep rolling against Detroit’s pitching staff.

What’s at Stake: Tigers’ Wild-Card Hopes on the Line

This series is make-or-break for the Tigers. With only a handful of games left in the season and multiple teams battling for that final AL wild-card spot, Detroit has to take advantage of this favorable matchup against a last-place Rockies team.

The Tigers’ offense has been clicking, and their bullpen has been strong in recent outings, but they’ll need more consistent performances from their starting pitchers—like Montero—if they want to stay in the hunt for the postseason.

Conclusion

The Detroit Tigers are fighting for their playoff lives as they open a pivotal three-game series against the Colorado Rockies. With rookies like Trey Sweeney and Parker Meadows stepping up at the plate and Keider Montero looking to stabilize the rotation, this series represents a golden opportunity for Detroit to gain ground in the wild-card race. The Rockies, meanwhile, are hoping to play spoiler and continue developing their young talent like Bradley Blalock. Expect a hard-fought series as both teams look to make an impact down the final stretch of the season.

The Lean

Look for the Tigers to come out on top as they host the Rockies today, and we are leaning towards taking them on the money line. As for how we would play the over/under line, we would go with the over, as this is projected to be the 10th highest-scoring game of the day, and this one has the 5th lowest combined hits projection. Tigers starter Keider Montero has the 2nd lowest projected strikeouts among today’s starters.