CHICAGO - Rain pushed back the Detroit Tigers’ game against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, Sept. 20, with first pitch at Rate Field originally set for 2:10 p.m. ET.
The expectation is that the weather will clear and the game will still be played, but both teams are prepared to wait as long as they can to get it in. That makes sense given the calendar: there are no shared open dates for the next week.
Detroit enters the day with Troy Melton lined up to start against White Sox right-hander Davis Martin. Melton is 8-4 with a 2.52 ERA, and he’s put together a 2.60 ERA across his first 23 career starts dating to July 2025. That mark is the best by a Tigers pitcher through his first 23 starts since Mark Fidrych posted a 2.37 ERA in 1976.
This is also the Tigers’ final regular-season road game. They’ve dropped two of the first three games in this four-game set, and their 73-82 record has already locked them into a losing season after back-to-back playoff years at 86-76 in 2024 and 87-75 in 2025.
A loss Sunday would do more than just deepen the slump. It would eliminate Detroit from American League playoff contention.
The schedule turns quickly from there. On Monday, the Tigers open a two-team, six-game homestand against the Washington Nationals and the Pittsburgh Pirates, with the Pirates coming to town for three games starting Friday. River Ryan is set to make his Tigers debut Monday, and Justin Verlander is scheduled to start Saturday in his final MLB appearance.
Detroit is also trying to end a rough run in division games. The Tigers have lost 14 straight by two runs or less against the AL Central, and since 1998 no AL Central team has ever gone winless in road intradivision games decided by two runs or fewer.
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For Detroit, the bigger question now is what happens when the league starts adjusting back. Clark has benefited from easing into the sport in lower-pressure spots in the order, but a strong finish could change the conversation fast and push him toward a larger role sooner than expected. If he keeps handling the leagues counters the way he has handled everything else so far, the Tigers may have to rethink not just his ceiling, but the timeline attached to it. [Read more 🡒]