Updates On Detroit Tigers Odds: Team Heating Up At End of May

The Detroit Tigers looked like the worst team in baseball just a few weeks ago.

Since then, Detroit has managed to show some signs of life.

Will the remainder of the summer start to provide some positive signs of rebuilding for the Tigers?

Detroit Tigers going streaking

Over the last couple of weeks, the Detroit Tigers have been going on some streaks.

Starting on May 8, the Tigers began a four-game win streak with a 7-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins. That turned into a stretch of nine wins in 11 games.

However, the hot streak has recently been derailed with a three-game losing streak to the likes of the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians.

Even in the losses, the Tigers have been competitive. They have had their last three losses come by a combined four runs.

Detroit comes into Tuesday night with an 18-29 record, which is still a big improvement from the 9-24 they were just 18 days ago.

Detroit heating up at the plate

A big reason for the improvement of the Tigers’ has been their improvement at the plate.

At one point, Detroit had six players in their lineup that were batting under .200. In Monday’s loss to Cleveland, there was just one.

Among the batts that have heated up is Miguel Cabrera, who was flirting with going below .100 earlier in the season. Cabrera is on a five-game hitting streak right now. He has increased his slugging percentage to .319, from just .213 back on May 5.

Harold Castro has been a great piece in the lineup recently as well. He’s on a five-game hitting streak himself, and has 19 hits over his last nine games. Castro is leading the team with a .351 average.

Jeimer Candelario has been the most consistent hitter throughout the season. He’s been steadily in the .280 to .290 range throughout the year.

Pitching remains strong

Along with the hitting, the Tigers are continuing to get quality starts from their pitching staff.

Spencer Turnbull had the most noteworthy start of the group last week when he threw the team’s first no-hitter since Justin Verlander did it in 2011. Turnbull walked two in his no-hitter, 5-0 win over the Seattle Mariners on May 18. Turnbull is 3-2 on the season with a 3.12 ERA.

Matthew Boyd continues to pitch well. He is just 2-5 on the season, but has the top ERA on the starting rotation of 3.08. Boyd has been the subject of trade rumors as the season has progressed.

Casey Mize started the season poorly, but has turned it up lately. He has dropped his ERA from 5.23 on April 23 to 3.42 currently.

In the bullpen, Michael Fulmer has been a pleasant surprise. After injuries derailed his career, Fulmer has been strong this season. In 17 appearances, Fulmer has a 3.69 ERA with three wins and four saves. Prior to Sunday’s blown save, Fulmer hadn’t allowed an earned run in 10 consecutive innings of work.

What’s ahead for the Tigers

The Tigers are now tied with the Minnesota Twins for fourth in the AL Central at 18-29. Both are just five games behind the Royals for third and 9.5 games behind the Chicago White Sox for first.

Still, the Detroit Tigers odds are a very distant +15000 to win the AL Central according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Surprisingly, Minnesota is only listed at +1700.

Detroit continues a four-game series at home with Cleveland tonight, looking to end the 3-game losing streak.

Up next is a 3-game homestand with the New York Yankees this weekend before Detroit hits the road for six games. The road trip includes the Milwaukee Brewers and the division leading Chicago White Sox.