Alfredo Simon (3-0, 1.74 ERA) and Trevor Bauer (2-0, 0.95 ERA) take the hill in the second of a three-game series between the Detroit Tigers (11-6) and the Cleveland Indians (6-9) at Comerica Park. The Indians won the last game 13-1 and Cleveland leads the series 1-0. Action begins at 1:08 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 25 and can be seen on STO, FSN-DET and FS1.
Simon is 2-2 with a 5.40 ERA in his appearances against the Indians, but goes up against a below-average Cleveland offense which is batting just .233 this season. Miguel Cabrera (.359, 8 Rs, 2 HRs, 10 RBIs, 1 SB) went 1 for 4 yesterday. Bauer is 2-0 with a 4.34 ERA when pitching against the Tigers. He is up against a good Detroit offense which is hitting .283 this season. Brandon Moss (.214, 7 Rs, 3 HRs, 9 RBIs) has been successful at the plate to the start the season, going 3 for 5 yesterday with two runs, two home runs, and seven RBIs.
Detroit is a -125 favorite against Cleveland and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at eight runs. The Tigers have recorded an overall money line of +533 and have shown high-level performance as a favorite this season with a record of 7-4. Detroit has had an impressive season against division opponents, earning 6-1 and 8-1 records as the favorite and SU respectively. The Tigers have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 3.0 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 4.8 runs per game. The Tigers are one of the best in the AL in terms of hits with an impressive 9.6 per game. Detroit is one of the best in the MLB in terms of steals, swiping 14 bases. Turning to the pitchers, opposing offenses have been stifled by the Tigers, who have a team ERA of only 3.15. The Tigers are the third-best team in the AL at limiting hits to their opponents, allowing only 7.2 hits per game so far this season.
In the other locker room, Cleveland is coming in with an overall money line of -568 and a disappointing record of 2-3 as the underdog. They have played poorly as the underdog with a 1-2 record against AL Central opponents, and a 3-7 record SU. Cleveland is excellent at not striking out n the road with just 6.9 per game, ranking second in the AL. Moving on to Cleveland’s pitching staff and defense, the The Indians allow just three runs per road game, ranking them first in the AL. The Indians have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an AL-best 10.4 strikeouts per game.
The Tigers lead the season series, 3-1. The Tigers have a great 7-4 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Bauer takes the mound. Simon (RHP) will be on the hill against the Indians, who have a 4-4 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – DET, O/U – Under
Notes
The Indians won their last game by a 12-run margin. In games decided by a margin of 10 runs or more, the Tigers are 1-1. The Indians are 1-0 in blowouts this season.
In extra innings, the Indians are 0-1.
The Indians are coming into this meeting after a high-scoring game where they scored an impressive 13 runs. The Tigers have a 0-2 record when opponents score that many runs or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the Indians are 5-1. The Tigers have a 10-1 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 23rd, Cleveland sits near the bottom of the league in runs, scoring 57 this season. Detroit ranks in the top 10 at sixth with 78.
Ranking 18th, Cleveland is in the bottom half of the league in walks, notching 45 this season. Detroit ranks in the top 10 at sixth with 59.
When the Tigers hit at least one home run, they are 8-3, well-matched with the Indians who are 5-3 when hitting one or more homers.
