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Indians unleash Carrasco on Tigers

Sep 12, 2014 - 2:49 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Cleveland Indians are right in the thick of the American League playoff races and Carlos Carrasco is a big reason why.

The right-hander goes after his fifth straight winning decision on Friday when the Indians begin an important three-game series with the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.

Carrasco has been terrific since re-joining the rotation in early August, going 4-0 with a sparkling 0.70 ERA in five starts. His strikeout-to-walk ratio in that span is 42-to-4.

"I'll tell you what, it's been so nice," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "You put a guy in the rotation and you certainly hope for the best, but my goodness. He looks so strong."

Carrasco was brilliant against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, as he scattered four hits over 8 2/3 scoreless innings to get the win and improve to 7-4 on the year to go along with a 2.69 ERA.

He faced the Tigers two starts ago and allowed 10 hits, but only one run in his team's 4-2 loss. For his career, Carrasco is 2-4 versus the Tigers with a 7.08 ERA.

Cleveland swept a doubleheader from the Minnesota Twins on Thursday, taking the first game, 8-2, before shutting them out in game two, 2-0. Carlos Santana homered in both games for the Tribe, which has won five of seven games.

Cleveland, which is 4 1/2 games back of the American League Central-leading Kansas City Royals, is 3 1/2 games behind in the race for the second wild card spot.

Detroit, meanwhile, helped its cause this week by taking two of three from the Royals, but was denied a sweep on Wednesday, as it fell, 3-0, to fall a half- game back of Kansas City in the division.

"Let's be realistic, it's tough to get a sweep in Major League Baseball, and they're a pretty good team," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "They pitched better and they hit better."

Detroit, though, occupies the second wild card spot by a half-game over the Seattle Mariners and will try to pad that lead on Friday behind left-hander David Price, who has lost three of his last four starts.

Price, acquired at the trade deadline from Tampa Bay, has gone just 2-3 since the deal and has pitched to a 4.10 ERA. He absorbed the loss on Saturday against San Francisco, as he allowed five runs - four in the first inning - and nine hits in 8 2/3 innings of that one.

Price did strike out 11 batters in that one, though.

"It stinks," Price said. "I don't care if it's April 1 (or September). You don't want to go out there and pitch that way. It stinks."

Price is 6-1 lifetime versus the Indians with a 2.86 ERA in eight starts.

Detroit has split 16 matchups with the Indians this season.






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