Indians at Tigers
No team has scored fewer runs than the Detroit Tigers, who are off to fast start this season while receiving strong starting pitching and a flawless performance at the back of the bullpen. Winners of six of their last seven, Detroit looks to remain atop the American League Central in Thursday afternoon's rubber match against the visiting Cleveland Indians.
The Tigers rebounded from an 8-2 shellacking in the series opener with a 4-1 victory on Wednesday as closer Shane Greene became the first pitcher in major league history to notch eight saves in his team's first 12 games. "We're going to kill Shane if we keep using him like this," Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. "But he wants the ball in every save situation, and we aren't scoring enough runs to get any lopsided wins." The Indians managed only five hits one day after slamming four home runs and had their five-game winning streak halted in the second of a nine-game road trip. Third baseman Jose Ramirez is hitless in eight at-bats in the series to drop his batting average to .154.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, STO (Cleveland), FS Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Shane Bieber (0-0, 3.38 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Spencer Turnbull (0-1, 4.09)
An 11-game winner in 2018, Bieber made his season debut in relief and tossed two innings of one-run ball before turning in a strong effort in his first start, striking out nine and giving up two runs and two hits over six innings in a no-decision versus Toronto. The 23-year-old blanked Detroit on four hits over seven innings last June but lost a rematch with the Tigers by allowing five runs over six innings in September. No player on Detroit's current roster has an extra-base hit off Bieber.
Turnbull, elevated to the starting rotation after Michael Fulmer injured his elbow in spring training, was saddled with the loss in his season opener after giving up three runs and four hits over five innings at Toronto. He rebounded with an outstanding outing against Kansas City, recording a career-high 10 strikeouts over six innings of three-run ball (two earned) but had to settle for a no-decision. Turnbull tossed one scoreless inning versus Cleveland in his major league debut last year.
EXTRA BASES
1. Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera is 9-for-17 during a five-game hitting streak.
2. Indians DH Hanley Ramirez doubled in a run Wednesday to give him five RBIs for the season.
3. Tigers OF Niko Goodrum is 3-for-7 with a homer and three RBIs in the series.