Detroit @ Cleveland preview
Progressive Field
Last Meeting ( Aug 22, 2010 ) Cleveland 1, Detroit 8
Not much has gone wrong lately for the Detroit Tigers, who have won eight of their last 10 games heading into Monday’s date with the Cleveland Indians.
However, the only real problems the Tigers (80-75) have experienced circle around Monday’s starter – Armando Galarraga – on the mound.
Galarraga (4-7, 4.44 ERA) was responsible for both losses during Detroit’s current hot streak and the Tigers have tumbled in each of his last six trips to the hill.
The hurler dropped a 9-6 decision to the Kansas City Royals the last time he took the mound. The 6-foot-4, 180-pounder gave up five runs and nine hits over 5 1/3 innings, while walking five and striking out four.
The silver lining of Galarraga’s slump is that he has been dominant against Cleveland this year and heads into Monday’s game working on 16 consecutive scoreless innings against the Indians.
Galarraga fired a one-hitter against Cleveland on June 2 and was denied the no-hitter on a blown call at first base by umpire Jim Joyce. He followed that up by dealing a three-hitter over seven innings against the Indians on Aug. 20, booking eight strikeouts in a 6-0 win.
Galarraga will be looking for some run support from a Detroit offense that scored 26 runs while batting .339 with eight home runs over a three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins.
American League MVP candidate Miguel Cabrera belted three two-run homers over the weekend and was 6-for-14 at the plate. He now has a career-best 38 home runs and leads the league with 126 RBIs.
The Indians (65-91) will turn to Carlos Carrasco (1-1, 3.03 ERA), who will record his sixth start of the season as he looks to make a case for a rotation spot next year.
The 23-year-old is coming off a 5-1 loss to the Twins in his last outing, giving up three runs on six hits, but hasn’t allowed more than three runs in a start this year. Carrasco was 0-2 with an 11.25 ERA in two appearances against the Indians last year.
The Indians head into this series after taking the last three contests of a four-game set against the Royals, allowing only 11 runs over the series.
The Tigers notched a three-game sweep over the Indians the last time they got together on Aug. 20-22 - with the home team winning 13 of the last 15 meetings. Detroit has been terrible on the road all year, recording a 28-46 mark.