Tigers Look to Tame Diamondbacks in Phoenix

Detroit aims to continue hot start against struggling Arizona squad.

Mar. 30, 2026 at 3:01am

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The Detroit Tigers (2-1) travel to Chase Field in Phoenix to take on the Arizona Diamondbacks (0-3) on Monday. The Tigers are favored at -144 on the moneyline, while the home underdog Diamondbacks sit at +120. Veteran right-handers Justin Verlander and Michael Soroka are the expected starting pitchers.

Why it matters

The Tigers have gotten off to a solid 2-1 start, led by a strong pitching staff that ranks 3rd in MLB with a 1.38 team ERA. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks have stumbled out of the gate at 0-3, struggling both at the plate and on the mound.

The details

Detroit's offense has been paced by 3 doubles and 1 home run, though the team is hitting just .202 as a unit. The Tigers pitching staff has 25 strikeouts against just 9 walks. For Arizona, the offense has managed only 2 home runs and 8 RBIs, while the pitching staff has a bloated 5.63 team ERA.

  • The game is scheduled for Monday, March 30, 2026.
  • First pitch is set for 6:40 PM local time in Phoenix.

The players

Justin Verlander

A future Hall of Famer, Verlander has a 266-158 career record and 3.32 ERA over 3,567 innings in the majors.

Michael Soroka

The young Diamondbacks right-hander has a 20-26 career record with a 3.86 ERA and 379 strikeouts in 415 innings.

Detroit Tigers

The Tigers are off to a 2-1 start and have a strong pitching staff that ranks 3rd in MLB with a 1.38 team ERA.

Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks have stumbled out of the gate at 0-3, struggling both offensively and on the mound with a 5.63 team ERA.

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What they’re saying

“We need to find a way to get the bats going and support our pitching staff. It's still early, but we can't dig ourselves too deep of a hole.”

— Torey Lovullo, Diamondbacks Manager

What’s next

The Tigers and Diamondbacks will play the second game of their three-game series on Tuesday night at Chase Field.

The takeaway

This early-season matchup between the Tigers and Diamondbacks could set the tone for both teams' seasons. Detroit looks to continue its strong start, while Arizona hopes to get its offense and pitching on track to avoid falling too far behind in the NL West.