Indians at Tigers
The Cleveland Indians keep losing ground to the Detroit Tigers, who would like to continue that trend when the American League Central rivals continue their three-game series Saturday at Comerica Park. The Tigers have won three of their last four to begin to create some breathing room atop the division, and they claimed the series opener 7-5 on Friday.
The Indians have lost five straight and are back to .500 less than three weeks after moving a season-best nine games over on May 20. They've seen their 2 1/2-game division lead at that point turn into a 3 1/2-game deficit. The Tigers have won four of six meetings between the teams this season, including three straight.
TV: 4:08 p.m. ET, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland), FSN (Detroit), MLB Network
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Justin Masterson (8-4, 3.57 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Rick Porcello (2-3, 5.21)
Masterson has been hit hard in two of his last three outings, including a meeting with the New York Yankees his last time out in which he was tagged for seven runs in 6 1/3 innings. Masterson is 2-6 with a 5.09 ERA in 14 career games (11 starts) against Detroit. He split four outings against the Tigers last season but has yet to face them this year.
Porcello had a streak of 16 consecutive scoreless innings snapped when Baltimore got to him in the seventh in his last outing and handed him his first loss since April 20. The right-hander is 5-3 with a 4.03 ERA in 16 career starts against Cleveland. Porcello faced the Indians on May 12 in Detroit, allowing two runs over six innings but not factoring in the decision.
WALK-OFFS
1. Tigers 3B Miguel Cabrera, who is a career .334 hitter in 100 games against the Indians, is 11-for-28 with two homers vs. Masterson.
2. Indians 1B Nick Swisher is hitless in his last 20 at-bats. Swisher is 6-for-19 with a homer against Porcello.
3. Tigers DH Victor Martinez has hit three home runs in six games this month after belting two in 52 contests in April and May.