Tigers Collect 10th Consecutive Win
The Cleveland Indians had a perfect opportunity to close the gap in the AL Central as they began a four-game series with the division leader on Monday, but after two games, they have found themselves backpedaling while the Detroit Tigers are beginning to pull away.
Behind a spectacular performance by Justin Verlander, the Tigers defeated the Indians 5-1 on Tuesday night. The win makes 10 in a row for Detroit, which also extended its lead in the Central to five games over Cleveland.
“Every game’s a big game but especially against the guys who are chasing us,” Verlander said, according to ESPN.com. “They’ve been playing extremely well. We know it’s going to be a battle this series. It’s not over yet but winning the first two is a great start.”
Miguel Cabrera picked up his 100th RBI of the season on a double to center field in the fifth inning, but it was Verlander who stole the show, as he allowed just four hits and one run over eight strong innings. Verlander – who hasn’t always dominated this season as he has in the past – looked more like his old Cy Young self against The Tribe.
“The adjustment that I made obviously made not just a little impact but a pretty big impact,” said Verlander, who altered his motion toward the plate. “Everything I’ve been searching for I was able to find it today. That’s a huge stride in the right direction.”
Verlander showing signs of his former brilliance is definitely good news for the Tigers, but bad news for the Indians, whose only way into the playoffs could be through winning the Central crown.
Cleveland will look to salvage the series by winning the final two games of their current set and today they’ll try to get started towards that goal with Danny Salazar (1-0, 1.50 ERA) on the mound. Salazar is making just his second career start, but did find success in his first outing against the Blue Jays, as he struck out seven over six innings and allowed just two hits.
However, it will be much more difficult for Salazar to surprise the Tigers, who are not only red hot, but have also seen him pitch. To up the ante even more, Salazar will be facing off against Doug Fister (10-5, 3.52 ERA), who has been rock solid as of late, allowing just two earned runs in his last 22 innings of work.
While it’s hard to imagine the Tigers’ streak continuing much longer, it’s also nearly impossible to bet against them while they are on it. And with Fister on the mound, bettors should feel even more inclined to side with the hotter team. Look for Detroit to cover -1.5 in the win today as they put the stranglehold on the division.
