Tigers at Indians
The Cleveland Indians continue to enjoy the comforts of home while the Detroit Tigers remain uncomfortable regardless of venue. The Indians will vie for their 11th win in their last 12 home games when they play the second contest of their four-game series versus the tumbling Tigers on Friday.
Michael Brantley continued his power surge by homering twice in Thursday's 7-5 triumph and is 18-for-59 in his career versus Friday starter Justin Verlander. Abraham Almonte has six hits in his last four contests for Cleveland, which has won four of five overall to move within four games of Texas in the race for the second wild card in the American League. Detroit has plummeted in the other direction, having lost 15 of its last 20 to reside in the basement of the AL Central. Miguel Cabrera carries a 13-game hitting streak at Progressive Field into Friday's tilt versus Cody Anderson, against whom he is 0-for-3.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, STO (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Justin Verlander (3-7, 3.43 ERA) vs. Indians RH Cody Anderson (3-3, 3.72)
Verlander saw his brief two-game winning streak halted despite allowing just three runs on seven hits in as many innings of a 4-0 setback to Cleveland on Sunday. The 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner has pitched well in his last nine starts (65 2/3 innings), posting a 1.78 ERA despite seeing Detroit record a 4-5 mark in those games. Verlander has kept the ball in the park in five of his last six trips to the mound.
Anderson captured his first win in nearly two months Sunday after scattering two hits over seven innings against Detroit. The 24-year-old has turned in strong performances since returning from the disabled list, posting a 2.08 ERA while limiting the opposition to a .130 batting average. Anderson has split a pair of decisions at home, but his ERA (5.33) is more than a run-and-a-half above his season average.
WALK-OFFS
1. Detroit 3B Andrew Romine is 6-for-13 in his last three games after going hitless in his previous 16 at-bats.
2. Cleveland 1B Carlos Santana has hit safely in 15 of his last 17 contests.
3. Tigers C James McCann is 10-for-24 with six RBIs and four runs scored in his last six games.