Indians at Tigers
Miguel Cabrera is trying to carry the Detroit Tigers to the playoffs and the two-time MVP hopes to extend his hitting streak to eight games when they host the Cleveland Indians on Thursday afternoon for the finale of a four-game set. Cabrera belted a three-run homer in Wednesday’s rain-shortened 6-3 victory and is 7-for-10 with two blasts and 10 RBIs in the series.
The Tigers, who finish the season with three contests at National League-worst Atlanta, remained one game behind Baltimore for the second wild-card spot in the American League with their second straight victory Wednesday. Left-hander Daniel Norris goes to the mound for Detroit, which has lost 14 of 18 against the AL Central champion Indians in 2016. Injuries to the starting rotation forced the Indians to dip into their farm system for the final week and Ryan Merritt gets the call Thursday. Cleveland would still like to get home-field advantage for the AL Division series and trails the Boston Red Sox by a game for the second seed in the league with four games left.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, ESPN, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland), FSN Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians LH Ryan Merritt (0-0, 1.50 ERA) vs. Tigers LH Daniel Norris (3-2, 3.59)
Merritt makes his first career start after allowing one run and three hits across six innings during three relief appearances over three separate months this season. The 24-year-old Texan, who was a 16th-round pick in 2011, gave up one run in two-thirds of an inning last time out on Sept. 12. Merritt went 11-8 with a 3.70 ERA over 24 starts at Triple-A Columbus this season.
Norris has permitted three runs or fewer in 11 of 12 starts in 2016, but completed six innings in just three of those outings. The 23-year-old Tennessee native is unbeaten in his last six after giving up two runs over 5 2/3 innings of a no-decision against Kansas City last time out. Carlos Santana is 3-for-5 versus Norris, who is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in two starts against the Indians in 2016.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Indians, who are 35-0 with a lead after eight innings on the road, stand as the only team in the majors without a losing streak longer than three games.
2. Detroit 2B Ian Kinsler belted a homer on Wednesday and is 14-for-24 during a six-game hitting streak.
3. Santana is 29-for-93 with six homers and 19 RBIs in September.