• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Tigers try to salvage set with Tribe

Jun 7, 2012 - 2:33 PM (Sports Network) - Things didn't go well for Casey Crosby in his major league debut. He hopes for a better showing this afternoon when the Detroit Tigers try to salvage the finale of a three-game series with the Cleveland Indians at Comerica Park.

Crosby's command failed him against the New York Yankees on Friday, as he walked four batters and allowed six runs and four hits in just 3 1/3 innings.

"You just file that one away, run him out there against Cleveland [next Wednesday], and see what he does," Detroit manager Leyland said after that start. "The equipment's there. We asked a lot of the kid tonight, but we've been forced this year into a lot of different situations. We just have to battle it."

Cleveland, meanwhile, will hand the ball to veteran Derek Lowe, who bounced back from a horrific outing two starts ago to beat the Minnesota Twins on Friday. After giving up eight runs in only 2 1/3 innings to the White Sox back on May 26, Lowe held the Twins in check, yielding just a run and five hits in 6 2/3 innings.

"There was no panic," said Lowe, who improved to 7-3 to go along with a 3.06 ERA. "In years past, I would have probably tried to look back too much at the last game. You just understand that, don't try and watch video to figure it out. Just admit that you did bad."

Lowe has faced the Tigers 29 times (10 starts) and is 7-2 against them with a 1.87 ERA.

Cleveland beat the Tigers for the fifth straight time this season on Wednesday, as Michael Brantley belted a three-run homer and Casey Kotchman added a two-run blast to lift the Tribe to a 9-6 win.

Jeanmar Gomez (4-4) got the win despite allowing six runs on seven hits and one walk over five frames, while Chris Perez fired a scoreless ninth to record his 19th save of the season.

Max Scherzer (5-4) surrendered eight runs -- five earned -- on seven hits and three walks over 4 1/3 innings to take the loss. Miguel Cabrera and Don Kelly both hit solo shots, but the Tigers lost for the seventh time in nine games.

Heading into this series Detroit had won its last seven at home against the Indians. Last season, the Tigers went 8-1 versus the Tribe at Comerica and have only dropped six of their last 29 at home in the series.