Blue Jays return home to tame the Tigers

Aug 23, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Matt Boyd (48) pitches in the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Game 1: Friday, August 28th  –  7:07 ET
R.A. Dickey (8-10, 4.26) vs. Matt Boyd (1-2, 4.88)

Dickey has seen his record shoot back to normalcy over his past seven starts, collecting five wins in that span, but he’s lost the magic recently. After spending several weeks as one of the hottest pitchers in baseball, the knuckler has allowed 20 hits in 10.0 innings over his past two starts.

His offense bailed him out last time, but there’s worry that Dickey is losing “it” again. I didn’t see anything terribly different from his mechanics again, though, so I’m still confident that everything will balance out. A key factor for Dickey will be recapturing his strikeout pitch.

Old friend Matt Boyd will counter for the Tigers, and while we love to see him succeed, perhaps he delays that one more start. The lefty has now made five appearances for the Tigers and owns a 4.88 ERA on the season. After impressing in his first outing following the David Price trade, Boyd has struggled as of late. As a lefty facing the Blue Jays, it won’t get any easier.

Next: Game 2: Which Hutch will we get?