Kansas City at Detroit

The Kansas City Royals were a hot team heading to Detroit, but the Tigers' pitching has been superb, and with Benoit now closing games, they have shored up a weakness in the back of the pen. The Royals are false contenders off a 17-3 run, and have now dropped three straight games. They have always had issues facing Justin Verlander, where he owns a 15-3 career record against them backed by a nifty 2.74 ERA, and a WHIP of just 1.14. Danny Duffy has not been up to task vs. the Tigers where he is 0-3 in three starts with a soft 5.16 ERA. The Royals have been overmatched on the road vs. a winning team where they have dropped six straight games. The Tigers are an impressive 60-19 in Verlander's last 79 home starts. Play Game 1 on Detroit.