The Detroit Tigers are getting something almost unheard of in a 162-game grind: a Friday off.
That break comes after Thursday night’s 10-4 loss to the Texas Rangers in the opener of a three-game series. Under normal circumstances, Detroit would be back on the field Friday. Instead, Major League Baseball adjusted the schedule because of what’s happening right next door to Globe Life Field in Arlington.
AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, is also hosting World Cup matches, including Friday’s round of 32 game between Australia and Egypt at 2 p.m. eastern on FOX. The two stadiums are basically neighbors - less than a five-minute walk apart - and trying to stage a baseball game and a World Cup match in the same area on the same day was never going to work. MLB made sure the Rangers and Tigers stayed clear of the complex.
Texas has already dealt with this once this season. Last month, the Rangers hosted the Minnesota Twins in a three-game series spread over four days, with both clubs off on Wednesday because of a World Cup match. That set Texas up for a stretch of 15 games in 15 days, a run that ended with Thursday’s game against Detroit.
The Rangers have mostly avoided the issue otherwise by being on the road when AT&T Stadium has hosted World Cup matches. Arlington’s next match is Monday, and Texas will have a more conventional off day then.
For Detroit, the Friday pause is a little different. The Tigers already had an off day on the first Sunday of the season, after opening in San Diego on a Thursday and playing their first three games without a break.
They then went from Monday through Wednesday against Arizona. MLB has been using unusual early-season off days in recent years, and in a lot of cases that has meant teams getting Friday off after a Thursday opener.
Outside of that, Detroit’s schedule has settled into the usual Monday and Thursday off days MLB leans on during the season. This one gives A.J.
Hinch and his staff a chance to take stock of where the Tigers stand as the first half winds down. Detroit is trying to claw back into the AL Central race, and June brought only modest progress.
After this road trip ends, the Tigers will get another day off Monday before closing the first half at home with a three-game series against the Athletics and another three-game set against the Philadelphia Phillies.
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