Monday through Wednesday: Tigers at Angel Stadium Thursday through Aug. 30: Athletics at Angel Stadium

Monday through Wednesday: Tigers at Angel Stadium

Thursday through Aug. 30: Athletics at Angel Stadium

If the Boston Red Sox win the wild card, the Angels, if they win the West, probably would draw the Red Sox in the first round of the playoffs for the third consecutive year. But, if the Texas Rangers win the wild card, the Angels might well draw the Tigers. Detroit billed itself last season as a Murderers’ Row for the new millennium, but the Tigers finished last in the American League Central, doomed by a 5.03 earned-run average from their starters. They lead the AL Central this season, with starters who rank second in the league with a 4.17 ERA entering the weekend. The Angels are scheduled to draw the Tigers’ top starters, each of whom ranks among the top seven in the league in ERA: Justin Verlander (3.29), Jarrod Washburn (3.18) and Edwin Jackson (2.86).

-- Bill Shaikin