In the first of a three-game series between the Detroit Tigers (11-5) and the Cleveland Indians (11-5) at Comerica Park, Shane Greene (3-0, 0.39 ERA) and Danny Salazar (1-0, 3.00 ERA) get the start. The game gets underway at 7:08 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 24 and will air on STO and FSN-DET.
In his most recent outing, Greene pitched 7.0 innings, allowing one run, striking out three and walking four in a 9-1 victory over the White Sox. Anthony Gose (.350, 8 Rs, 1 HR, 5 RBIs, 1 SB) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one run. In his pitching opportunities against the Tigers, Salazar is 1-1 with a 3.27 ERA. He meets a strong Detroit offense that’s batting .286.
Detroit, a -139 favorite, will look to capitalize at home against Cleveland. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is set at eight runs. The Tigers perform well as a favorite with a 7-3 record and have an overall money line of +638. They have performed well against their division to earn an SU record of 8-1 and a 6-1 record when they were the favorite. Detroit has averaged 3.7 runs per game over the last 10 games, lower than its season average of 5.1. They have been a terror on the base paths, ranking fifth in all of baseball with 13 steals. Detroit’s pitching staff can be considered one of the best in the AL. The Tigers have a team ERA of 3.22, one of the lowest in their league. The Tigers are fourth in the AL in hits allowed with just 7.5 per game.
Moving on to the away team, the Indians come into this game with a weak win percentage of .400 when playing as the underdog (2-3) and an overall money line of -568. Against divisional opponents, they are 3-8 SU and have played poorly as the underdog with a 1-2 record. The Indians average just 6.9 strikeouts per road game, one of the lowest marks in the AL. The Indians are the top AL pitching staff on the road, essentially shutting down opponents to the tune of three runs allowed per away game.
The previous three games have all gone Detroit’s way. This game will feature Salazar (RHP) on the mound against the Tigers, who have a 7-3 record when they take on a right-handed starter. Taking the hill against the Indians will be the right-hander Greene. They sport a 4-4 record against righties.
Predictions: SU Winner – DET, O/U – Under
Notes
Cleveland has won 50% (3-3) of its games when leading after 7 innings. However, Detroit has won 67% (6-3) of its games when taking a late lead.
Having scored one run in their last game, the Tigers are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Indians have a 2-0 record in games where opponents scored that many runs or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Tigers are 0-3. The Indians have a 1-7 record when opponents outhit them.
Cleveland ranks near the bottom of the league at 22nd when it comes to home runs, hitting 11 this season. Detroit ranks in the top half at 13th with 14.
Ranking 12th, Cleveland is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 7.36 per game. Detroit ranks in the top five at second with 10.07.
Ranking 27th, Cleveland is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.619). Detroit ranks in the top five at third with an OPS of .791.
The Indians are 3-7 when they allow at least one home run. The Tigers perform similarly when they allow one or more homers with a 2-4 record.
