• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Tigers, Indians go at it again in Motown

Aug 20, 2011 - 2:56 PM (Sports Network) - American League Central rivals continue a critical three- game series at Comerica Park this evening, as the first-place Detroit Tigers host the Cleveland Indians.

Cleveland will give the ball to David Huff for what will be his fourth start of the season. Huff is 1-1 with a 0.51 ERA and didn't allow an earned run against Boston in his last start back on August 2nd. Huff didn't figure in the decision of that tilt but certainly deserved a win, especially considering the fact that he only yielded three hits.

Huff has faced Detroit twice in his career and owns a 0-1 record versus the Tigers with a 6.00 ERA.

Slated to oppose Huff is Detroit's Doug Fister, who is a lowly 4-13 this season despite a solid 3.59 ERA. Fister has only allowed eight home runs in 160 2/3 innings of work thus far, but he has yielded 163 hits. He is undoubtedly eager to get back on the mound today after permitting six earned runs on 12 hits in 5 2/3 innings of work against Baltimore on Sunday.

Fister is 0-1 versus Cleveland this season despite a 2.81 ERA, and he is 0-2 lifetime versus the Indians with a 3.58 ERA.

On Friday, Austin Jackson hit a two-run homer to back seven stellar innings from Max Scherzer, as the Tigers downed the Indians, 4-1, in the opener of this series.

Scherzer (13-7) allowed just one run on five hits and a walk. He fanned six and a established a new career-high for wins in a season.

Alex Avila and Jhonny Peralta hit back-to-back home runs for the Tigers, who hold a 2 1/2-game lead over the Indians for first place in the AL Central.

Jose Valverde tossed a 1-2-3 ninth to record his 36th save of the season.

Miguel Cabrera went 0-for-4, marking the end of his 15-game hit streak.

Josh Tomlin (12-6) lasted 6 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits. He struck out two and did not issue a walk.

Carlos Santana scored the lone run for the Indians, who had won two straight entering the series.

The fact that the Tigers lead their division is somewhat surprising considering the fact that they have allowed more runs (564) than they have scored (555) this season.

Cleveland has won six of 10 from the Tigers this season.