Tigers at Indians
The Cleveland Indians hope to build off the emotion of a walk-off victory when they begin a four-game home set against the Central Division-rival Detroit Tigers on Monday. The Indians manufactured a run without a hit in the eighth inning to tie the game before Yan Gomes delivered a two-run homer in the ninth for a 3-1 victory over Kansas City on Sunday, earning their first series win of the season.
“We needed the win and we got a win,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona told reporters after his team improved to 4-5 overall. “We obviously have some work to do offensively, and we will. But it’s nice to win a game like that.” Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber will try to make it two in a row for the Indians and gain his first victory of the season Monday against Francisco Liriano, who is coming off a strong outing. The Tigers come in hot off a three-game sweep on the road against the Chicago White Sox, scoring 15 runs to win the first two games before recording a 1-0 triumph on Sunday to even their record at 4-4. Former AL MVP Miguel Cabrera knocked in the only run in the finale with a sacrifice fly and leads the way with nine RBIs for Detroit, which has managed just two home runs in the early going.
TV: 6:10 p.m. ET, FS Detroit Plus, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers LH Francisco Liriano (1-0, 1.35 ERA) vs. Indians RH Corey Kluber (0-1, 2.40)
Liriano was outstanding in his Tigers debut, allowing just one run on four hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings in a 6-1 win over Kansas City last Monday. The 34-year-old Dominican was used as a reliever 20 times in 38 appearances with Houston and Toronto last season, finishing with a 6-7 record and 5.66 ERA. Rajai Davis is 12-for-34 with a homer versus Liriano, who gave up seven runs over two innings but escaped with a no-decision in his lone start against the Indians in 2017.
Kluber has yet to find the win column despite producing two quality starts, yielding four runs on nine hits and three walks in road games against Seattle and the Los Angeles Angels. The 31-year-old native of Alabama has struck out 14 over 15 innings thus far and was dominant at home last year with a 10-2 record and 1.81 ERA with 157 strikeouts over 114 2/3 frames. Cabrera (22-for-57, six homers, 12 RBIs) and Victor Martinez (14-for-43, three, seven) have hit well against Kluber, who was 3-1 versus Detroit last year.
WALK-OFFS
1. Detroit 2B Dixon Machado was 4-for-12 in the last series and has registered six doubles and seven RBIs overall.
2. Cleveland's Lonnie Chisenhall (calf strain) was placed on the 10-day disabled list and fellow OF Tyler Naquin was recalled from Triple-A Columbus.
3. The Indians have won 27 of their 37 meetings with the Tigers over the last two seasons, including each of the last seven.