Indians at Tigers
Jason Kipnis is slowly recovering from a rough start to the season and the Cleveland Indians’ second baseman comes into the second of a four-game road series against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday off one of his biggest hits of 2018. Kipnis, who has raised his average 29 points since May 25 to .206, launched a tiebreaking three-run homer in the ninth inning Friday for a 4-1 victory in the series opener.
Kipnis is 16-for-52 with three homers and eight RBIs over his last 13 games to add to an Indians’ offense that has averaged 5.6 runs during a 9-3 surge, giving them a comfortable lead atop the American League Central. Mike Clevinger looks to keep it going for Cleveland when he takes the mound Saturday against fellow right-hander Mike Fiers in a battle of Florida natives. The Tigers have cooled off with five losses in their last seven games after a promising 8-2 stretch, and went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position during Friday’s setback - the third time in four games in which they scored one or zero runs. Center fielder Leonys Martin has been Detroit’s hottest hitter of late, going 7-for-18 with a pair of doubles, a triple and a homer in his last five contests.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, STO (Cleveland), FS Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Mike Clevinger (4-2, 3.36 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Mike Fiers (5-3, 4.33)
Clevinger is 1-2 with a 4.81 ERA in his last four starts after giving up four runs over six innings of a no-decision at Minnesota last Sunday. The 27-year-old Jacksonville, Fla., native owns a 2.38 ERA in five road starts this year, including a complete-game victory at Baltimore on April 21. Miguel Cabrera has a homer but is just 2-for-13 against Clevinger, who is 4-1 with a 2.28 ERA in six career games (five starts) versus the Tigers.
Fiers has struggled to go deep into games, but allowed two or fewer runs in four of his last six starts while going 3-1 during that stretch. The 32-year-old Hollywood, Fla., native completed at least six innings in just three of his 11 starts and has permitted 12 homers overall, including one or more in seven of the past eight outings. Jose Ramirez is 5-for-13 with a homer versus Fiers, who is 3-1 with a 2.22 ERA in five career starts against the Indians.
WALK-OFFS
1. Detroit RF Nicholas Castellanos has hit safely in 17 of his last 20 games - including the last four - to raise his average to .329.
2. Cleveland DH-1B Edwin Encarnacion boasts 15 RBIs in his last 12 games despite being held without one the past three.
3. Cabrera remains one RBI behind Ernie Banks (1,636) for 32nd on major league baseball’s all-time list.