Basisphilosophie » Manager Ron Gardenhire knew the Detroit

Tigers would take their lumps this season. What has been troubling to him lately is their sloppy play.Outfielders missing cutoff men. Pitchers failing to hold runners on properly. Infielders bobbling grounders. Batters swinging at pitchers out of the zone.The Tigers carry a three-game losing streak into a two-game series at Kansas City. Detroit left-hander Matthew Boyd will oppose right-hander Jacob Junis in the opener on Tuesday.Article continues below ...Gardenhire wants his team to play smarter and sharper.“We’ve got things to work on Will Middlebrooks Jersey , a lot of things to work on,” he said. “We’re trying to work on it and we’re touching on it just about every time it happens. We make sure we talk to them about it. All those little things will eventually pay off down the road.”Francisco Liriano was originally scheduled to start Tuesday, but Gardenhire shuffled his rotation to accommodate ace Michael Fulmer.Liriano will make a start later in the week because Gardenhire wants Fulmer to pitch every fifth day. Fulmer, who will pitch Wednesday’s matinee, made his first start since the All-Star break on Friday after recovering from an oblique strain.“Our goal here is to keep Fulmer on his five days because he’s coming through this thing,” Gardenhire said. “So we’re just kind of adjusting. Frankie’s one of those guys who can adjust. He’s done it before and he’s a veteran. He doesn’t have too many worries about those things, so we’re going to adjust with him.”Boyd (8-11 Francisco Rodriguez Jersey , 4.09 ERA) held the Chicago White Sox scoreless for six innings in his last start. He also collected a victory in his last visit to Kansas City, giving up two runs in six innings and striking out seven on July 25.Improved control has led to an uptick in Boyd’s effectiveness. In his last nine starts, Boyd has issued just seven walks while striking out 51.In 12 career starts against Kansas City, Boyd is 3-6 with a 6.40 ERA.Junis (6-12, 4.70) has gone winless in his last four starts, but he hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in any of them.“It’s been encouraging to have some consistent starts in a row,” Junis told MLB.com. “I was slumping pretty hard Jake Arrieta Jersey , so to bounce back and have some strong ones since the All-Star break, it’s encouraging to finish this season strong.”In his last start at Tampa Bay on Wednesday, Junis pitched 5 2/3 innings and gave up four runs, but only two were earned.“It’s not encouraging, (because) I’ve got a good feeling about Jake, so I don’t need to be encouraged,” Royals manager Ned Yost told MLB.com. “This is what I expect out of Jake. I expect him to go out and make starts like this. I expect him to execute pitches and have a good slider and keep us in the game.”Junis has faced the Tigers more than any other team in his two-year career and consistently given them fits. He is 5-1 in six starts with a 3.44 ERA.The Royals have lost six of their last eight games. Cleveland Indians Trevor Bauer missed more than a month because of a stress fracture in his right fibula.Now Nick Williams Jersey , the immensely talented 27-year-old will return to the scene of the crime.Bauer (12-6, 2.21 ERA) will make his second start since being activated off the disabled list when the Indians visit the Chicago White Sox for the second installment of a three-game series on Tuesday night at Guaranteed Rate Field. It is the same ballpark where he was injured Aug. 11 when White Sox slugger Jose Abreu drilled a line drive off his leg.Article continues below ...Cleveland (88-68) already has clinched its third straight American League Central division title. But the Indians know that a healthy Bauer will make a huge difference as they pursue their first World Series title since 1948.Bauer tossed 34 pitches in his return from the disabled list Friday against the Boston Red Sox. He gave up two hits, walked one and struck out one without allowing a run in 1 1/3 innings.Now, the right-hander will try to increase his pitch count as the playoffs approach. If the Indians deem him ready for the postseason rotation, he could knock teammate Shane Bieber out of a starting role.Bauer is 8-3 with a 3.15 ERA in 17 appearances (15 starts) against the White Sox in his career. He has walked 31 and struck out 117 in 97 innings during those matchups.Bauer said he was happy with his velocity in his first start back from his fracture.“I never really doubted that I would be able to turn it loose,” he said to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “I’m pretty good mentally at being able to flip that switch. I go through it all the time in the offseason. That’s part of the benefit of having the offseason program I do — the velocity training I do. You see a number of the radar board and you’re like, ‘OK Tommy Joseph Jersey , that’s not good enough.’ And you have to find a way to access the next step, the next level.”Chicago (61-95) is looking to finish the season on a high note before shifting its focus toward the 2019 campaign. The White Sox have lost six of their last eight and 13 of their last 18.However, White Sox manager Rick Renteria said the final week could have an effect on the start of next season.“I think it does,” Renteria said to the Chicago Tribune. “They probably can equate some significant change in their routine or consistency in doing things to validate their outcomes, and then everybody can put their heads together and evaluate what they need to do to repeat that.”White Sox right-hander James Shields (7-16, 4.48 ERA) will make his 33rd start of the season. The longtime veteran has a career mark of 145-139 with a 4.01 ERA in 406 games (404 starts).The 36-year-old Shields needs four outs to post his first 200-inning effort since 2015. He has reached the milestone nine times, including tossing a league high 228 2/3 innings in 2013 with the Kansas City Royals.In 23 career starts against Cleveland http://www.philliesfanproshop.com/authentic-clay-buchholz-jersey , Shields is 5-8 with a 3.76 ERA.Chicago is 29-50 at home this season. Cleveland is 39-36 on the road.