Corey Kluber (1-3, 4.24 ERA) and Anibal Sanchez (3-2, 6.08 ERA) start in the second of a three-game series between the Cleveland Indians (11-12) and the Detroit Tigers (14-11) at Progressive Field. The Indians won the last game 7-3, and Cleveland leads the series 1-0. Action begins at 6:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May. 4 and can be seen on STOh and FSDT.
Kluber pitched 7.0 innings in his last outing, surrendering three runs (one unearned) and striking out six in a 4-3 defeat to the Phillies. Tyler Naquin (.333, 8 Rs, 2 RBIs) went 1 for 3 yesterday. Sanchez went 5.2 innings, surrendering two runs, striking out nine and walking seven in a 7-3 win over the Athletics in his most recent start. Nick Castellanos (.368, 11 Rs, 4 HRs, 19 RBIs, 1 SB) has been successful at the plate, going 2 for 4 yesterday with one RBI.
The odds for Cleveland and Detroit are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available. Within its division, Cleveland has a record of 4-6 SU. The Indians have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 0.0 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 0.0 runs per game. Cleveland is one of the best in the MLB in terms of steals, swiping 19 bases. Cleveland’s pitching staff has been doing better against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, only allowing an average of 0.0 runs per game, well under their season average of 0.0.
The Tigers are 6-3 against fellow AL Central members. Offensively, the Tigers have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 0.0 runs per game by averaging 0.0 during that stretch. The Tigers are tough outs for opponents, ranking third in the AL with 10.4 hits per road game. The Tigers allow 0.0 runs per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 0.0 runs per game during that span.
The Indians have the edge in the season series, 4-0.
Predictions: SU Winner – CLE
Notes
Detroit has won 50% (5-5) of its games when leading after seven innings. However, Cleveland has won 62% (5-3) of its games when taking a late lead.
The Tigers managed to give up four walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Indians who are heading in with a 5-2 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the Indians are 8-3. The Tigers have an 11-2 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 22nd, Cleveland is near the bottom of the league in runs, scoring 99 this season. Detroit ranks in the top 10 at eighth with 118.
Cleveland and Detroit both rank near the bottom of the league in walks. Cleveland sits at 24th with 70 this season and Detroit ranks 27th with 66.
The Indians are 6-8 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Tigers are 13-5 when they hit at least one homer.
