Tigers' Kenta Maeda: Decent showing as bulk reliever
Maeda allowed two runs on four hits and struck out two without walking a batter over 4.2 innings of relief versus the Giants on Friday. He didn't factor in the decision in the Tigers' 3-2 loss.
Maeda continues to stretch out in anticipation of a return to the rotation -- he threw 72 pitches (46 strikes) Friday, up slightly from 69 pitches in his previous outing. The veteran right-hander had a decent performance but couldn't sustain a 2-0 lead, allowing a run to score on a sacrifice fly in both the seventh and eighth innings. Maeda is now at a 6.59 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 66:24 K:BB over 84.2 innings across 21 appearances (16 starts). He's projected to make his next appearance at home versus the Mariners, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him follow an opener at least one more time.
