After the U.S. men take on Australia in the World Cup at 3 p.m. ET, settle in for a night of baseball in Detroit. The Tigers host the White Sox on Juneteenth, kicking off a Father’s Day weekend at Comerica Park with their ace on the mound and a piece of baseball lineage taking the field for the first time.
How To Watch
Date: Friday, June 19
First pitch: 6:40 p.m. ET
Venue: Comerica Park, Detroit
TV: Detroit SportsNet (Tigers) · Chicago Sports Network (White Sox)
Radio: WXYT 97.1 FM (Detroit) · WMVP 1000 AM (Chicago)
Pitching matchup: Detroit’s Tarik Skubal (3–3, 2.81) vs. Chicago left-hander Eisert (1–0, 4.86)
How Many More in the Old English D?
Skubal takes the ball healthy and overpowering as ever — a 2.81 ERA and 49 strikeouts — which is exactly why every start carries a question for a last-place Tigers club: how many more times will Detroit fans get to watch him in this uniform? With the trade deadline looming and the Tigers buried in the AL Central, the sport’s most electric left-hander is the kind of arm contenders dream on. For now, he’s still theirs — so enjoy it.
A Third Generation Takes the Field
Recalled this week with Wenceel Pérez headed to the injured list, Trei Cruz is set to make his Major League debut, batting ninth and starting in right field. The moment carries weight that runs three generations deep: Trei is the son of longtime big-league outfielder José Cruz Jr. and the grandson of Astros legend José Cruz Sr., who was born in Puerto Rico and starred in Houston for more than a decade. With Trei’s debut, the Cruzes become just the fifth family in baseball history with a grandfather, son, and grandson all to reach the majors. On a Father’s Day weekend, you couldn’t script it better.
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal stretches before a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Sunday, June 14, 2026 in Cleveland. before a baseball game, Sunday, June 14, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
Rice University’s Trei Cruz (2) runs the bases during an University of Texas at Rice University NCAA college baseball game, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020, in Houston. (AP Photo/Aaron M. Sprecher)
Detroit Tigers shortstop Trei Cruz throws out an Atlanta Braves runner in the third inning of a spring training baseball game, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Lakeland, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Also Worth Watching
Keep an eye on Kerry Carpenter in the DH spot — one of the smoothest left-handed swings in the Detroit lineup, and a threat to change the game with one cut. All times Eastern.
