It’s a strange time of year in the season. One day away from the trade deadline, every game is on hug watch. We’ve already had multiple players traded mid-game, and some were dealt to the opposing team. That may be the case on Wednesday as the Arizona Diamondbacks finish up their series with the Detroit Tigers.
The Tigers would love not only to win, but to keep one of Arizona’s players in Detroit. Reports have come out in the last few days that they’re looking to acquire Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez. It would be a massive addition for Detroit to secure the biggest bat available at the deadline.
The Diamondbacks will be focused on pulling out a win in their last game before the deadline. For some of these players, it could be their last time in an Arizona uniform. They’ll want to go out with a win for pride’s sake.
The Tigers are -137 favorites at home on the DraftKings Sportsbook. The over/under is set at 8.5 runs. Let’s dig into our Diamondbacks-Tigers prediction.
Diamondbacks vs. Tigers prediction, preview
The Tigers got their trade deadline early, picking up starting pitcher Chris Paddack from the division rival Twins. With the news that Reese Olson will be sidelined with an injury, Detroit needed a replacement in the rotation. And Paddack came cheap for good reason: since a stellar rookie year in 2019, he holds a 4.91 ERA in 80 games (77 starts). Wednesday will be his debut with Detroit.
They’re hoping there is more than meets the eye. Not in a Transformers sense, more in an underlying stats sense. He’s generating a high chase rate on all of his pitches, while keeping the walk rate down. He extends well through his pitches. There’s enough there for the pitching staff to work with. A viable innings eater is what they need.
Ryne Nelson has been more than just an eater for the Diamondbacks this year. Starting out as a bullpen arm, he’s been excellent since moving into the rotation. After getting rocked in his first start as a full-time rotation member, he’s pitched to a 1.99 ERA over his last eight starts. Arizona has won seven of those games. His lively fastball has missed bats and barrels all year, and he’s been a quiet gem.
Neither team has been playing well since the All-Star break. The Diamondbacks have fallen out of the playoff chase, and the Tigers lost their grip on the top seed in the AL. But with Arizona going to a reliable starter and Detroit going to a question mark, I’m backing the Snakes as the road dogs in this one.
