Tigers at Indians
Detroit’s David Price and Cleveland’s Corey Kluber are arguably two of the best pitchers in baseball, and the Cy Young award winners square off Saturday when the Indians host the Tigers. Kluber will try to cool off a Tigers offense that has scored 30 runs in the season’s first four games, pounding out 18 hits in Friday’s 8-4 victory in the series opener.
The top four hitters in the Detroit lineup finished 10-for-22 Friday with Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez notching three hits apiece. The Tigers lead the majors with a .366 team average and 27 RBIs, and have drawn 18 walks (second in the majors). Cleveland got Michael Brantley back in the lineup Friday after the left fielder missed two games with a back injury. Offseason acquisition Brandon Moss snapped a 0-for-12 season-opening skid with a RBI single for the Indians.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FSN Detroit-Plus, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers LH David Price (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Indians RH Corey Kluber (0-1, 2.45)
Price, the 2012 AL Cy Young winner, dominated the Twins in Monday’s season opener, falling one out shy of his third complete-game shutout while allowing only five hits and striking out five with no walks. He improved to 5-4 in 12 starts since being traded to the Tigers from Tampa Bay at last July’s trade deadline. Price won both starts against the Indians last season, allowing two runs in 14 2/3 innings with 15 strikeouts.
Kluber, who won 18 games with a 2.44 ERA last season en route to the AL Cy Young, took the loss in Monday’s opener at Houston despite allowing only two runs on three hits with seven strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings. He averaged 10.27 strikeouts per nine innings in 2014, ranking third in the AL, and tied for second in the league in wins above replacement (7.4). Kluber went 1-2 in four starts against Detroit last season with a 4.26 ERA.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Indians signed Kluber – who turned 29 Friday – to a five-year, $38.5-million contract Sunday.
2. A victory Saturday would give Detroit its first 5-0 start since 2006.
3. The Tigers gave up their first earned run of the season in the sixth inning Friday, tying the 1963 Cardinals for the longest streak without an earned run allowed to start a season (32 innings).