http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2017/07/tigers_royals_preview_anibal_s.html#incart_river_index
Tigers, Royals preview: Anibal Sanchez on the mound looking to avoid sweep.
Mlive
http://m.tigers.mlb.com/news/articl...anibal-going-for-8-in-a-row/?topicId=26688732
Anibal looks to slow down surging Royals.
Tigers official site
Detroit Tigers
RHP Anibal Sanchez (2-0, 5.95 ERA)
17 G, 6 GS, 56 IP, 65 H, 37 ER, 13 HR, 16 BB, 52 K, 5.32 FIP
Kansas City Royals
RHP Ian Kennedy (3-6, 4.61 ERA)
18 GS, 97 2/3 IP, 77 H, 50 ER, 19 HR, 39 BB, 86 K, 5.17 FIP
Who: Detroit Tigers (45-54) vs Kansas City Royals (52-47)
When: 7:10 p.m. EDT
Where: Comerica Park
TV: Fox Sports Detroit
Radio: FM 97.1 The Ticket and the Tigers radio network.
The Tigers have lost their last four against the Royals, while Kansas City is on a seven-game winning streak.
Mikie Mahtook has a career-best 10-game hitting streak. He's 15-for-38 with two doubles, two triples, and two home runs during that span.
Mahtook’s triple Tuesday was the 23rd by the Tigers this season, which leads the AL.
Sanchez is 6-4 with a 2.66 ERA in 15 games (13 starts) against the Royals.
Eric Hosmer is hitting .316 (12 for 38) with one home run against Sanchez, while Alcides Escobar is batting .263 (10 for 38) with one home run. Mike Moustakas and Salvador Perez both are 4 for 23 (.174).
Kennedy allowed six runs (five earned) on six hits in four innings against the White Sox in his last start. It snapped a streak of six straight starts in which Kennedy allowed three earned runs or fewer.
Kennedy is 2-4 with a 4.34 ERA in eight starts against the Tigers.
Tigers against Kennedy: Justin Upton .263 (5 for 19, 1 HR), Miguel Cabrera .353 (6 for 17, 1 HR), Alex Avila .188 (3 for 16, 3 HRs).
Things to know about this game
Sanchez threw just five of his slow changeups (he calls them butterfly changeups), which averaged 69 mph with one as slow as 65 mph according to Statcast, against the Twins on Friday. He said it's a pitch he'll use in varying amounts depending on the game situation.
The Royals don't seem to like slow stuff, as they're just 17-for-79 (.215) this year on pitches thrown 75 mph or slower entering Tuesday.
In 2016, opponents managed to hit just .215 against Kennedy fastballs (two-seamers and four-seamers). In '17, it hasn't gotten any easier for them. Kennedy's .220 average allowed is fourth lowest among more than 60 pitchers who have ended at least 200 at-bats with those pitches.
Alex Presley, who is Detroit's hottest hitter right now with a .413 batting average (19-for-46) in July, has never solved Kennedy. Presley is 0-for-11 against him with four strikeouts.
Tigers by the Numbers.
Overall: 45-54
Current streak: L2
At Comerica Park: 25-23
On the road: 20-31
Day games: 21-15
Night games: 24-39
vs. AL East: 10-10
vs. AL Central: 24-21
vs. AL West: 7-17
vs. NL: 4-6
