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Cubs begin quick set against Tigers

Jun 9, 2015 - 12:21 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Chicago Cubs wind down their road trip Tuesday night in Detroit as they open a brief two-game interleague series with the Tigers at Comerica Park.

The Cubs are 4-3 on the trip and can ensure a winning record with at least a series split. They just took three of four from the Washington Nationals and then got an off day Monday.

Chicago's offense piled up 14 hits in Sunday's 6-3 victory. Rookie phenom Kris Bryant came a home run short of the cycle, and Anthony Rizzo delivered two hits and two runs as he extended his hitting streak to 12 games, the longest of his career.

"I've been saying it all along, I know we can play with the big boys in the league," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "But you've got to prove it. We've played less effectively against teams that have been struggling this year. We've played well against teams that are doing well."

The Cubs will now have the luxury of using a designated hitter as they visit an American League ballpark for the first time this season.

Meanwhile, Detroit has won two straight since ending an eight-game slide. The Tigers were in Chicago over the weekend to face the White Sox, as they notched a 7-1 victory on Saturday and then a 6-4 triumph on Sunday before getting the day off Monday.

Alfredo Simon allowed three unearned runs in the first inning of Sunday's rubber match. But he settled down and went on to work eight innings, retiring the final 12 batters he faced. J.D. Martinez and Yoenis Cespedes both homered in the sixth inning to ignite the Tigers offense, as the team improved to 18-4 when scoring five or more runs this season.

"The last two days we've scored runs with two outs, which we haven't done in recent times," manager Brad Ausmus said.

Anibal Sanchez will toe the rubber for Detroit in Tuesday's opener. The right- hander has not won a start since May 14 and is 3-7 with a 5.69 ERA on the season. Sanchez has dropped his last two decisions, most recently this past Wednesday against Oakland as he walked four batters in seven innings and was tagged for four earned runs.

With Justin Verlander expected to rejoin the team this weekend, the pressure is squarely on Sanchez's shoulders to make his case for keeping a spot in the rotation.

Chicago's Jon Lester is also looking to avoid losing a third consecutive decision. The southpaw gave up four runs in the second inning in Miami on Wednesday and later served up back-to-back home runs in the fifth. Lester was unable to get past the fifth inning, marking his shortest outing in a span of nine starts. He was coming off a 10-strikeout performance in his previous start.

Looming in Detroit's lineup is two-time AL MVP Miguel Cabrera, who is 14- for-27 (.519) lifetime against Lester.

These teams have not faced each other since the 2012 season.