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Jul 18, 2010 - 5:59 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

Detroit (48-39) at Cleveland (35-54), 1:05 p.m. EDT

The Detroit Tigers' struggles on the road are cause for concern. Their poor play against the AL Central might be an even bigger problem.

After failing again to take advantage of a chance to move into the AL Central lead, the Tigers will try to avoid a four-game road sweep by the Cleveland Indians for the first time in 19 years on Sunday

While Minnesota has cooled off the division-leading Chicago White Sox, second-place Detroit (48-41) has been unable to take advantage, losing three straight to last-place Cleveland (37-54), including a doubleheader sweep on Saturday to drop 1 1/2 games back.

The second loss - their fourth straight overall - dropped the Tigers to 16-28 on the road, but even more worrying is their 16-20 record against division rivals.

On Saturday, Detroit lost 4-3 in the opener and 2-1 in 11 innings in the nightcap. The Tigers went 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position in the second game and failed to score with a runner on third and one out in the ninth. Austin Kearns hit an RBI single in the bottom of the 11th to score the game winner.

"We didn't execute," manager Jim Leyland said. "We let them off the hook in the first inning. We didn't do enough to win the game. We didn't execute. We stunk the joint up, plain and simple."

Miguel Cabrera went 1 for 5 with two strikeouts in the nightcap after his 20-game hitting streak was snapped earlier in the day. Magglio Ordonez, who entered the day with a .315 batting average, went 0 for 7 over the two games.

The Tigers, who haven't been swept in a four-game series at Cleveland since 1991, have not been swept in a four-game series by the Indians since 2005.

Detroit will send rookie Andy Oliver (0-3, 6.38 ERA) to the mound after he gave up four runs and five hits in 4 2-3 innings of a 6-3 loss to Minnesota last Sunday.

"I was getting ahead in the count, but then I was trying to get too cute, and an 0-2 count was turning into 3-2," said Oliver, who hadn't pitched above Double-A before being called up June 25. "I'm not able to control a game here like I was able to do in Erie."

The 22-year-old left-hander is making his first start against the Indians, who have won eight of 10 on the road.

Justin Masterson (3-8, 5.31) takes the mound for Cleveland after struggling his last two outings. The right-hander gave up five runs and eight hits in five innings of a 6-5, 10-inning loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday after allowing seven runs in 5 1-3 innings of a 12-1 loss at Texas on July 6.

Masterson gave up three runs and struck out eight in six innings of a 6-4 loss to the Tigers on May 8. He didn't factor in the decision.