Tonight at 8:10 p.m. ET, the Detroit Tigers (84-68) and Kansas City Royals (83-68) take the field at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City for the start of a pivotal three-game set. The game can be live streamed for free here. Detroit fans can hear all of the action on 97.1 The Ticket while Kansas City fans can do the same on KCSP 610.
Detroit continues a six-game road trip after dropping two of three to the Minnesota Twins to start it off while Kansas City closes out the final leg of a 10-game homestand it is 3-4 on thus far.
The Tigers own a half-game lead over the Royals in the American League Central entering this huge weekend series while Kansas City currently holds the top wild-card spot in the AL.
Justin Verlander (13-12, 4.81 ERA) toes the rubber for Detroit while Kansas City counters with Jason Vargas, who is 11-9 with a 3.41 ERA thus far this season.
Verlander seems to welcome the pressure as he believes the team will play sharper down the stretch by having so many meaningful games -- none more meaningful than the trio they'll play this weekend.
"We're in first place. Obviously, hey, you'd like to be up six or seven and be clinching right now, but sometimes I think that works against you," Verlander, who is dealing with a blister, told MLB.com. "I think it's maybe better for a team to be playing meaningful games coming down the wire going into the playoffs, and not just kind of coasting."
Verlander, whose 5.59 ERA against the Royals is higher than any opponent he's faced this season more than once, will look to stifle a Kansas City lineup that includes the surging Nori Aoki.
Aoki was 11-for-13 against the White Sox in the last series.
"Right now, Nori's gotten hot, and we needed that, we needed some guys getting hot, creating some scoring opportunities," manager Ned Yost said via MLB.com.
The Tigers lineup has been flanked by first baseman Miguel Cabrera this season and he is on a hot streak of his own, getting 10 hits in his last 16 at-bats -- good enough for a .625 batting average in that span.
Cabrera leads the AL in doubles (48), is second in RBI (103-tied) ranks third in runs (97) and hits (182), fourth in total bases (301) and fifth in slugging percentage (.526) and OPS (.905).
Cabrera and Victor Martinez have dominated the league this year as Cabrera leads the MLB with a .403 on-base percentage and is second in the AL with a .333 batting average, a .567 slugging percentage and a .970 OPS, fourth in total bases (301-tied) and fifth in hits (177).
Aside from Aoki, who leads the team with a .281 batting average, Kansas City's lineup has been paced by Alex Gordon, who has a team-best 19 homers and 70 RBI.
A huge AL Central series kicks off tonight when the division-leading Tigers and the Royals clash at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.
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