Tigers at Indians
Victor Martinez aims to reach the 2,000-hit plateau against his former team on Friday as the visiting Detroit Tigers open a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. The 38-year-old Venezuelan, who resides one hit shy of the milestone, is vying to become the ninth active player to reach 2,000 when he faces the team with which he played from 2002-09.
Martinez recorded back-to-back two-hit, two-RBI performances to open a three-game series versus San Francisco before sitting out Detroit's 6-2 win in the finale on Thursday afternoon. The veteran is just 7-for-36 in his career against Friday starter Carlos Carrasco, although fellow 2,000-hit alum Miguel Cabrera is 11-for-40 versus the right-hander. While the Tigers finished what effectively became a nine-game homestand with a 5-4 mark, the Indians temporarily stopped the bleeding of their issues at Progressive Field as Thursday's 11-2 rout of San Diego improved the club to 19-23 at home. Jose Ramirez, who has 13 hits in his last eight games, launched a two-run homer on Thursday and did the same against Friday starter Jordan Zimmermann in a 4-1 victory against Detroit on Saturday.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, STO (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Jordan Zimmermann (5-6, 5.58 ERA) vs. Indians RH Carlos Carrasco (9-3, 3.50)
Zimmermann attempts to exact revenge against Cleveland after a four-run sixth inning led to his demise on Saturday. "That's the way it's been going for me. I've been pitching well and I'm just not getting the results," said the 31-year-old, who fell to 0-2 in his last five outings after permitting five hits versus the Indians in 5 2/3 frames. Zimmermann has been plagued by the home run ball all season, surrendering four in the last three outings and 21 in 16 starts.
Carrasco improved to 4-0 in his last five starts overall and 2-1 with a 2.29 ERA in three outings versus Detroit this season after yielding one run on four hits with seven strikeouts on Saturday. The 30-year-old Venezuelan retired his final 10 batters to highlight a bounce-back performance following a disastrous outing in which he gave up eight earned runs in 3 1/3 innings against Texas on June 26. Carrasco has allowed two runs or fewer in 11 of his 16 trips to the mound this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Indians manager Terry Francona spent his third straight day undergoing tests at the Cleveland Clinic on Thursday, with no clear timetable for his return.
2. Tigers 3B Nicholas Castellanos is 9-for-20 with one homer, six RBIs and four runs scored during his six-game hitting streak.
3. Cleveland LF Michael Brantley has hit safely in 12 of his last 14 contests overall and seven of eight versus Detroit this season.