Alfredo Simon (11-9, 5.09 ERA) and Danny Salazar (12-7, 3.27 ERA) start in the second of a three-game series between the Detroit Tigers (61-73) and the Cleveland Indians (65-68) at Comerica Park. The Indians won the last game 8-1 and Cleveland leads the series 1-0. Action begins at 7:08 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sep. 5 and can be seen on STOh and FSDT.
Simon pitched 5.0 innings in his last outing, surrendering six runs, striking out two and walking two in a 9-2 defeat to the Blue Jays. Miguel Cabrera (.360, 56 Rs, 17 HRs, 68 RBIs, 1 SB) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one RBI. Salazar went 7.0 innings, surrendering two runs, striking out 10 and walking one in a 4-2 win over the Blue Jays in his most recent start. Michael Brantley (.322, 62 Rs, 12 HRs, 75 RBIs, 14 SBs) has been successful at the plate for the Indians, going 2 for 5 yesterday with one run and one RBI.
Cleveland takes on Detroit as a -163 favorite. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at eight runs. The Tigers have recorded an overall money line of -1,074 and have shown a weak performance as an underdog this season with a record of 27-44. Detroit has recorded a disappointing 1-8 record as the underdog over its last 10 games. Detroit’s pitching staff has been doing poorly against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, allowing an average of 8.3 runs per game, well above its season average of 5.0.
In games where it is the favorite, Cleveland has a 44-40 record and an overall money line of -1,495. They have managed to pull off a perfect record over their last ten games playing as the favorite, and have a 7-3 SU record over the same span. Cleveland is excellent at drawing walks with 3.4 per game, ranking third in the AL. Cleveland’s pitching staff has set the standard for its league, with an AL-low 3.41 ERA on the road. When it comes to preventing batters from getting on base, the Indians are one of the best in the league with a WHIP of 1.19 for the season. The Indians have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an AL-best 8.9 strikeouts per game.
The Tigers have controlled the season series, 9-4. The Tigers have a 43-57 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Salazar takes the mound. Simon (RHP) will be on the hill against the Indians, who have a 47-41 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – Cle, O/U – Over
Notes
Detroit has won 46% (28-33) of its games when leading after 7 innings. However, Cleveland has won 49% (21-22) of its games when taking a late lead.
The Indians are coming into this game after allowing one walk during their last outing. The Tigers have a 12-27 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Tigers are 51-17. The Indians have a 55-11 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 19th in runs, Cleveland has earned 546 this season. Detroit ranks 11th with 582 runs.
Ranking 17th, Detroit is in the bottom half of the league in walks, notching 370 this season. Cleveland ranks in the top five at third with 451.
The Tigers are 45-34 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Indians are 48-27 when they hit at least one homer.
