Detroit Tigers at Cleveland Indians: Game Preview, TV/Radio Coverage, Lineup

David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Detroit Tigers(37-32) at Cleveland Indians(37-36) – 7:05 PM EDT

Progressive Field – Cleveland, OH

TV: Fox Sports Detroit

Radio: 97.1 The Ticket(Click for affiliates)

The Detroit Tigers are coming off a near do-0r-die win to avoid a four game sweep by the Kansas City Royals, and the Indians won on a walk-off grand slam by Nick Swisher yesterday against the Los Angeles Angels. Tigers’ closer Joe Nathan finally took a step in the right direction, though the offense put just barely enough on the board to get the W.

When We Last Met

Can we skip this part this time? The last time the Tigers faced Cleveland was the start of the string of seemingly unending awful baseball being played by Detroit. Cleveland swept Detroit at home, though it should be noted that two of those wins were of the walk off variety, and one was in the 13th inning. It’s easy to pinpoint the nonsense at the start of the last series in Cleveland(the plane, zubaz, etc.) as the “when it all went wrong” moment, so it should be equally feasible that it should be the place where it all starts to go right again for the Tigers, too, right? Optimism! Yay! Lightheartedness aside, this is a wildly important series for Detroit, and if the turn around is going to happen, there’s no better time than the present.

Pitching Matchup

Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Rick Porcello(8-4, 4.03 ERA) is coming off a strong start against Minnesota in which he pitched seven innings, gave up five hits, three walks and three runs, but did not get a decision in the game. This start was very encouraging for Porcello, who had been struggling as mightily as the rest of the Tigers’ starters whose names don’t rhyme with Danchez.

Porcello has an 8-3 career record against the Indians, with an ERA of 3.59 in 110.1 innings pitched.

Jun 15, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Cleveland Indians starting pitcher

Corey Kluber

(28) throws a pitch against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Corey Kluber(6-4, 3.35 ERA) takes the mound for the Indians after last facing the Red Sox. Kluber was not the pitcher of record, pitched 5.1 innings, gave up five hits, four walks and two earned runs. In his career against the Tigers, Kluber is 1-3 with a 5.24 ERA in 44.2 innings pitched.
Tigers Lineup

1. Ian Kinsler – 2B
2.Austin Jackson – CF
3. Miguel Cabrera – 1B
4.Victor Martinez – DH
5. J.D. Martinez – LF
6. Nick Castellanos – 3B
7. Don Kelly – RF
8. Bryan Holaday – C
9. Eugenio Suarez – SS