Tigers at Indians
While the Cleveland Indians are well back of first-place Minnesota in the American League Central, they are in the thick of things in the wild-card chase as they enter a favorable portion of the schedule. Despite losing Thursday's series finale in Texas, the Indians have won 10 of 15 entering Friday's opener of a three-game set versus the visiting Detroit Tigers.
Cleveland returns home after wrapping up a 5-2 road trip, which began with a three-game sweep at Detroit last weekend in which it outscored the Tigers 25-6. Jason Kipnis was 5-for-10 with two homers and seven RBIs in his last three for the Indians, who scored 44 runs in a six-game span prior to Thursday's 4-2 setback. Detroit appeared on its way to a two-game interleague sweep in Pittsburgh before blowing a six-run lead in Wednesday's 8-7 loss to fall to 4-12 in June. Nicholas Castellanos has hit safely in five straight for the Tigers, whose pitching staff has been burned for 44 runs during a 1-5 stretch.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers LH Matthew Boyd (5-5, 3.35 ERA) vs. Indians RH Trevor Bauer (5-6, 3.41)
Boyd suffered his first loss in five starts last time out in Kansas City, matching his season low with four innings while giving up five runs (four earned) and six hits. It marked only the second time in 14 starts that he permitted more than three runs and dropped his record to 2-3 with a 3.66 ERA in seven outings away from Comerica Park. Francisco Lindor is 9-for-22 with a pair of homers off Boyd, who beat the Indians with six innings of one-run ball on April 10.
Bauer has labored through a frustrating season but he ended an eight-start winless drought with a flourish, striking out eight and blanking the Tigers on four hits in the first shutout of his career. The former No. 3 overall pick also was superb in a no-decision versus Cincinnati in his previous turn, tossing 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball to halt a four-start losing streak. Miguel Cabrera is 11-for-32 against Bauer, who owns a 9-6 record and 5.17 ERA against the Tigers.
WALK-OFFS
1. Indians DH Carlos Santana, who has hit safely in 14 of his last 15 games, is 8-for-22 versus Detroit this year.
2. Tigers LF Christin Stewart had a pair of hits Wednesday after going 0-for-16 in its previous five games.
3. Indians 3B Jose Ramirez had seven RBIs during a six-game hitting streak that was halted Thursday.