Tigers, Giants to close interleague series with pitchers' duel

Two hot pitchers who have gotten the script on how to handle Sunday afternoon's opponent get an opportunity to show off what they've absorbed when Troy Melton and the Detroit Tigers close out a road interleague series against Logan Webb and the San Francisco Giants.

The teams have split the first two decisions in the three-game set, each receiving a strong pitching performance from a surprising source.

The Giants opened the series with uncertainty as to who would fill traded Robbie Ray's spot in the starting rotation, electing to go the opener route Friday night. Adrian Houser made manager Tony Vitello's strategy look brilliant with five innings of one-run relief in a 5-2 win.

The Tigers countered by scheduling Jackson Jobe, who hadn't pitched a big-league game in more than 14 months, in Saturday's rematch, and he responded with five one-hit innings in an 8-0 victory. Jobe had been recovering from Tommy John surgery.

That sets the stage for an expected pitchers' duel between Melton (7-1, 1.58 ERA), who hasn't lost since June 25, and Webb (7-7, 3.74), who is unbeaten in his last four starts.

Melton will be making his second start on Detroit's nine-game trip, hoping to duplicate the effort that helped produce an 8-0 win at Seattle on Tuesday. It was his second consecutive seven-inning, three-hit shutout outing.

As the Tigers continue a generally positive run following trades that saw them lose top pitchers Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize, the right-hander wants to make it clear it won't be a superhuman effort from one man that will keep the club in the American League playoff race.

"I think we definitely have the people here to be able to make a run," Melton told reporters during the Western swing. "I don't think anybody in this room would ever question that. Losing two good players (stinks), but we have some players here to fill some shoes."

The 25-year-old California native has never faced the Giants in his two-year, major-league career.

The Giants also saw two top pitchers - Ray and Tyler Mahle - dealt at this week's trade deadline. Webb helped ease the pain in his last start, a 5-1 win at Texas that came just hours after the Ray trade to the San Diego Padres was announced.

The right-hander threw six innings of shutout ball against the Rangers, striking out eight.

Vitello insisted to reporters after Monday's win that the performance by Webb was an all-timer given the circumstances.

"What he did today is incredible," the manager gushed. "The only thing that'd be worse is if he was dealing with something off the field, family-wise. But as far as business-wise, he's the first one here today. I walked by him at different times, either on the phone or grabbing people, it was pure chaos around him. But it was anything but on the field."

Webb has pitched well against the Tigers in his career, but with little to show for it. In three starts, he's struck out 24 in 17 2/3 innings, allowing just four earned runs, but has nothing more than a 1-2 record despite a 2.04 ERA.

- Field Level Media