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Thursday’s Rockies vs. Tigers interleague matchup features Ryan Feltner for Colorado and Tarik Skubal for the Tigers. The game is being played at 1:10 PM ET from Comerica Park in Detroit, and the Tigers are the heavy money line favorite, with their odds sitting at -252. The Rockies are +208 on the money line, and the over/under line is at 7.5 runs.
Colorado comes in with a record of 54-92 and is 5th in the NL West, while the Tigers are 4th in the AL Central with a record of 75-71. Detroit has won four straight games.
Colorado vs. Detroit Key Information
- Teams: Rockies at Tigers
- Where: Comerica Park Detroit
- Date: Thursday, September 12th
- Betting Odds DET -252 | COL +208 O/U 7.5
The Rockies Can Win If…
Ryan Feltner gets the start for the Rockies today as he faces the Tigers on the road. So far this season, he has made 26 starts and has a record of 2-10 with an ERA of 4.96. Feltner’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.41. In his 26 starts, he has turned in 10 quality starts and is averaging 7.89 strikeouts per nine innings. Feltner’s most recent outing was a good one, as he went six innings, giving up just one earned run and picking up the win. Before that, he had gone three straight outings without a decision.
So far this season, the Rockies are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 23rd in the league. However, they have been much better at home, averaging 5 runs per contest. As a team, the Rockies are batting a collective .241, which is 13th in the league. They have been good at putting the ball in play, as their team BABIP of .31 is the 2nd best mark in the league.
Michael Toglia and Brenton Doyle are tied for the team lead in homers, with Toglia batting just .219 for the season and Doyle at .266. Toglia has gone 6/21 in his last six games, with two homers and four RBIs. Ezequiel Tovar is also on a three-game hitting streak and is batting .268 for the season. Tovar and Doyle are also 2nd and 1st, respectively, in RBIs for the Rockies this season.
- The Rockies are 4-6 in their last ten games.
- Over their last five games, the Rockies are 2-3 vs. the run line.
- Colorado has an over/under record of 3-7 in their last ten games.
- The Rockies have an average of 2.6 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 1-2 in their last three games as the underdog
- In their ten most recent road games, the Rockies have averaged 3.0 runs per game on offense
The Tigers Can Win If…
Tarik Skubal gets the start for the Tigers today and comes in with a record of 16-4 and an ERA of 2.53. So far, he has made 28 starts and 20 of them have been quality starts. Skubal’s ERA at home is 2.2, and he has a record of 9-1 at home compared to 7-3 on the road. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, going 5 2/3 innings and giving up two earned runs on seven hits. Before that, he had won two straight starts. One of his best outings came on August 31st, where he went eight innings, giving up just one earned run and picking up the win.
Heading into today’s game, the Tigers are 17th in the league in runs per game, averaging 4.3 runs per contest. This is also their team batting average for the season. Detroit is also 17th in on-base percentage and 19th in home runs. The Tigers have three players with at least 12 homers this season, led by Riley Greene, who is batting .265 for the season and has gone deep 21 times.
Riley Greene has been hot of late, going 10/24 in his last six games with a home run and eight RBIs. Colt Keith is also on a hot streak, as he is currently on an eight-game hitting streak and is batting .262 for the season. Matt Vierling is also on a good stretch, as he has gone 9/25 in his last six games and is batting .261 for the season.
- The Tigers are 7-3 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 5-5 in their last ten games.
- The Tigers have an average of 7.0 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 4-1
- 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
The Detroit Tigers are riding high as they aim to close out their series against the visiting Colorado Rockies with a fifth consecutive win on Thursday afternoon at Comerica Park. With ace Tarik Skubal taking the mound, the Tigers are in a strong position to keep their momentum going and continue their late-season push.
Detroit Tigers Riding High on Offense and Momentum
Offense Explodes in First Two Games
The Tigers (75-71) have made the most of their six-game homestand, already securing victories in the first two games of this series against the Rockies. Wednesday’s 7-4 win was powered by a six-run first inning, marking their largest first-inning output since 2018. Trey Sweeney provided the big hit with a three-run home run, while Kerry Carpenter led the offensive charge with four hits.
With the offense clicking at just the right time, the Tigers are looking to maintain their momentum and finish off the Rockies with a sweep.
“We’re just confident right now,” Carpenter said. “We’ve got a lot of guys that can swing it and they’re swinging it really well. We’re going up there on the attack, and it showed in the first inning.”
Skubal Anchors Detroit’s Playoff Push
Tarik Skubal has been instrumental in the Tigers’ recent success, and Thursday’s game is no exception. The left-hander is on a Cy Young-caliber run this season, emerging as a dominant force in the American League. Skubal’s 16-4 record and 2.53 ERA put him firmly in contention for the Cy Young Award, and he’s also chasing the rare pitching Triple Crown, leading the AL in wins and ERA, while battling Kansas City’s Cole Ragans for the strikeout title.
Skubal has been nearly unbeatable since mid-June, suffering just one loss in his last 15 starts. His most recent performance, against the Oakland A’s, saw him allow two runs over 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision. Despite not earning the win, Skubal continues to show why he’s one of the most feared pitchers in the league.
“I got ‘baseball-ed’ a little bit, but that’s part of the game,” Skubal said. “Balls falling in, broken bats, balls hit on the line, it’s probably just frustration more than anything. But, it’s part of the game, so you just move on.”
The Tigers will be banking on another stellar outing from Skubal as they aim to sweep the Rockies and extend their win streak.
Rockies’ Ryan Feltner Looking for Back-to-Back Wins
Feltner’s Bounce Back
The Colorado Rockies (54-92) will turn to right-hander Ryan Feltner in hopes of avoiding a sweep. Feltner has endured a tough season but is coming off one of his best starts of the year, having allowed just one run on two hits over six innings in a 7-3 win against the Milwaukee Brewers last Friday. That victory snapped a long 22-start winless streak for Feltner, who has struggled to get much run support from his team.
“It’s something I can’t control,” Feltner said regarding the lack of run support. “I just try to do my job.”
Despite his struggles, Rockies manager Bud Black has praised Feltner’s resilience in what has been a difficult season.
“It’s no fun as a starting pitcher when you look at your record. It can be very, very tough. It can be demoralizing,” Black said. “The wins are going to come in a big way if he pitches like he did (Friday).”
Feltner has never faced the Tigers in his career, so Thursday’s matchup will present a fresh challenge for him. Coming off his best start of the season, Feltner will look to carry that momentum into the series finale.
Key Matchup: Skubal’s Dominance vs. Rockies’ Offensive Struggles
Skubal’s Consistency and Dominance
The Tigers are heavily favored in this matchup, largely thanks to Skubal’s dominance on the mound. His ability to mix his fastball with sharp breaking pitches has kept opposing hitters off balance all season. In his only previous start against the Rockies, back in April 2022, Skubal threw six shutout innings to earn the win. The Tigers will be hoping for a similar performance as they look to finish the series on a high note.
Rockies Searching for Offense
For the Rockies, the challenge will be generating enough offense against one of the league’s best pitchers. Colorado has struggled to find consistent run production this season, and facing Skubal won’t make things any easier. However, Feltner’s strong start last week gives them a fighting chance if they can find a way to get to Skubal early.
With hot bats like Kerry Carpenter and Trey Sweeney anchoring the Tigers’ lineup, the Rockies will need a near-perfect performance from Feltner to avoid another loss.
What’s at Stake
Tigers Looking to Finish Strong
The Tigers are still in the hunt for a strong finish to the season. Currently sitting at 75-71, they’re aiming to keep their winning streak alive and ride this momentum through the final stretch of the season. With Skubal on the mound and the offense firing on all cylinders, Detroit is in a prime position to complete the sweep and extend their win streak to five games.
Rockies Aiming for a Moral Victory
For Colorado, the goal is to salvage some pride in what has been a difficult season. A win in the series finale would help restore some confidence as the Rockies look to close out the season with a few bright spots. Feltner’s recent success is a step in the right direction, and a strong showing against a playoff-caliber team like Detroit would go a long way for his development.
The Lean
For a money line pick, we are leaning toward the Tigers to come out on top at home vs. the Rockies. As for how we would play the over/under line, we are leaning toward taking the over, as this is projected to be the 3rd lowest-scoring game of the day. These teams have the 2nd lowest total hits projection. For today’s starters, we have Tarik Skubal as the 8th best strikeout option compared to Ryan Feltner (3rd).
