The Detroit Tigers have kicked off the 2026 campaign strong, having already clinched the season-opening series against the San Diego Padres with a 5-2 win on Friday night. On Saturday, they go for the sweep, which would complete the reversal of last season’s start.
So far, the visitors have outscored the home team, 13-4, behind solid performances by Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez, respectively. Rookie Kevin McGonigle added two more hits to his team-leading total of five and shares the team lead of four RBIs with Dillon Dingler.
Next up in the rotation is right-hander Jack Flaherty, who takes the mound opposite of fellow righty Randy Vásquez on Saturday. Here is a brief look at how they match up.
Detroit Tigers (2-0) vs. San Diego Padres (0-2)
Time (ET): 8:40 p.m. ET
Place: Petco Park, San Diego, California
SB Nation Site: Gaslamp Ball
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 3: RHP Jack Flaherty (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Randy Vásquez (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
* Note: Stats in the table below are Fangraphs’ 2026 projections
|
Player |
G |
IP |
K% |
BB% |
ERA |
FIP |
fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Flaherty |
29 |
160.0 |
25.7 |
8.4 |
4.03 |
3.89 |
2.5 |
|
Vásquez |
36 |
137.0 |
15.8 |
8.3 |
4.80 |
4.94 |
0.7 |
FLAHERTY
VÁSQUEZ

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