Tigers at Indians
The Detroit Tigers entered the week as one of the hottest teams in baseball, but a trip to Ohio has them on the verge of losing their ability to keep any kind of heat on the American League Central-leading Cleveland Indians. The Tigers will try to remain competitive in the division race and attempt to break even on their eight-game road trip Sunday, when they wrap up a three-game series with the host Indians.
Detroit (36-41) began its trek with a sweep of the Chicago White Sox and took a five-game winning streak into Cincinnati on Tuesday before the Reds stopped them from reaching .500 for the first time since April 8, The Tigers remained 0-for-Ohio and dropped to 3-4 on their trek with Saturday's 4-1 setback in Cleveland, falling seven games back in the Central after trailing by only 2 1/2 prior to their four-game skid. Meanwhile, the Indians have won six straight - matching their longest winning streak of the season - and have done so in dominant fashion, outscoring the opposition 42-7 during the streak and 26-1 over their last three contests. Cleveland has enjoyed similar success against Detroit in 2018, winning nine of the 12 meetings by a 64-28 margin.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers LH Matthew Boyd (4-5, 3.63 ERA) vs. Indians RH Adam Plutko (3-1, 5.04)
Boyd lost for the first time in five turns since May 22 on Tuesday as he surrendered a season-high five runs on six hits and three walks in four innings at Cincinnati. The Oregon State product has struggled on the road, going 1-4 with a 4.74 ERA in seven turns. Francisco Lindor is 6-for-17 with a solo homer against Boyd, who did not factor in the decision at Cleveland on April 10 despite allowing one run in seven frames.
Plutko will make his first start since June 12 after a one-game stint in the bullpen in which he served up a solo shot among the two hits he allowed in two frames on June 16 against Minnesota. The 26-year-old opened the season strong by permitting three runs over his first 13 1/3 innings, but he has since surrendered 11 runs across his next 11 2/3 frames. Plutko faced Detroit once near the end of the 2016 season, yielding three runs in two innings of relief.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Indians are 18-4 in their last 22 games against the Tigers (allowing three runs or fewer in every win) and 36-13 overall versus Detroit since the start of the 2016 season.
2. Tigers OF JaCoby Jones is batting .333 during his career-best nine-game hitting streak.
3. Cleveland 3B Jose Ramirez went 1-for-4 on Saturday to extend his on-base streak to a career-high 30 games - the second-longest such active run in the majors (Texas' Shin-Soo Choo, 38 games).