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Tigers-Indians Preview

May 8, 2010 - 4:37 AM By JON PALMIERI STATS Editor

Detroit (16-13) at Cleveland (10-17), 1:05 p.m. EDT

Whatever ails the Detroit Tigers can usually be fixed with a few games against the Cleveland Indians.

The Tigers look to avoid a season-high fourth straight loss and continue their mastery of the Indians on Saturday afternoon after Friday night's scheduled series opener was postponed by rain.

Coming off a 5-1 homestand, Detroit (16-13) dropped three straight in Minnesota in a series that ended with Wednesday's 5-4 loss.

Looking to avoid their first four-game skid since an 0-5 stretch Sept. 8-12, the Tigers opened a 7-1 lead Friday before the Indians answered with five runs in the third. Rain forced the game to be delayed over two hours in the top of the fifth before it was postponed with all the records washed away.

The Tigers probably aren't happy that this three-game series has been reduced to two with the success they've had recently against the Indians (10-17).

Detroit swept a three-game set from visiting Cleveland in April and has won the last nine meetings. The Tigers are 17-4 in the series since the start of the 2009 season, outscoring the Indians 110-75.

Miguel Cabrera entered Friday batting .331 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs in 39 games against the Indians since coming to Detroit in 2008. Cabrera, who hit a two-run homer Friday that was washed away, is 3 for 3 with a home run against Saturday's scheduled starter Justin Masterson.

Justin Verlander (2-2, 4.50 ERA) looks to build on his best start of the season for the Tigers. The Detroit ace was outstanding Sunday in a 5-1 victory over Los Angeles, allowing one run and three hits in 8 1-3 innings, retiring 23 in a row at one point. He matched a season high with seven strikeouts and didn't issue a walk.

"That's about as close as you're going to get to a no-hitter without throwing one," Detroit catcher Alex Avila said. "He was in a zone."

Verlander had struggled versus the Indians throughout his career until last season, when he went 4-0 with a 0.90 ERA against them. The right-hander, though, was reached for six runs in five innings of Detroit's 9-8 win at Comerica Park on April 11.

Cleveland's Travis Hafner hit a three-run homer and Grady Sizemore added a solo shot Friday for what would have been his first of the season.

"The good news was the guys battled back from an early hole and Grady got untracked," manager Manny Acta said.

The Indians have lost four straight and eight of 10. They rank near the bottom of the majors in runs (95), homers (15) and slugging percentage (.356).

Masterson (0-3, 5.40) seeks his first win since Aug. 20. Early struggles were a problem again for the right-hander, who gave up three runs in the first two innings last Saturday against Minnesota before settling down to allow four runs and 10 hits in 7 2-3 innings of a 5-4, 11-inning victory.

The opposition is batting .333 (14 for 42) the first time through the lineup against Masterson, who has lost nine straight decisions since beating the Angels on Aug. 20.

Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera is expected to return to the lineup Saturday after sitting out three games with a strained quadriceps.