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CLEVELAND ( SALAZAR )
DETROIT ( SIMON ) |
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| 919 | CLEVELAND | -165 | Ov 8.5,+100 | -155 | Ov 8,-125 | | 920 | DETROIT | +155 | Un 8.5,-120 | +145 | Un 8,+105 |
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| All Games | 65-68 | -14.3 | 64-67 | 4.1 | 0.256 | 0.324 | 0.394 | 0.718 | 4.1 | 0.239 | 0.293 | 0.389 | 0.683 | | Road Games | 36-34 | +2.4 | 27-41 | 3.7 | 0.241 | 0.307 | 0.379 | 0.685 | 3.5 | 0.223 | 0.279 | 0.356 | 0.634 | | vs Right-handed Starters | 46-40 | -2.4 | 45-39 | 4.5 | 0.263 | 0.334 | 0.405 | 0.739 | 4.0 | 0.235 | 0.285 | 0.391 | 0.676 | | Past 7 Games | 5-2 | +4 | 3-4 | 5.1 | 0.270 | 0.313 | 0.435 | 0.748 | 2.7 | 0.220 | 0.272 | 0.327 | 0.599 | | Grass Games | 60-66 | -18.4 | 60-64 | 4.1 | 0.257 | 0.326 | 0.393 | 0.719 | 4.2 | 0.242 | 0.297 | 0.397 | 0.694 | | Night Games | 44-43 | -5.5 | 40-46 | 4.1 | 0.254 | 0.317 | 0.396 | 0.713 | 4.1 | 0.233 | 0.287 | 0.388 | 0.676 | | Division | 19-31 | -17.9 | 27-21 | 4.4 | 0.263 | 0.325 | 0.408 | 0.733 | 4.7 | 0.262 | 0.315 | 0.420 | 0.736 |
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| All Games | 4.1 | 0.256 | 0.324 | 133 | 4500 | 1152 | 249 | 21 | 110 | 0.394 | 524 | 451 | 949 | 70 | 957 | 134 | 69 | 115 | 65 | | Road Games | 3.7 | 0.241 | 0.307 | 70 | 2375 | 573 | 108 | 10 | 66 | 0.379 | 249 | 225 | 496 | 39 | 473 | 79 | 35 | 50 | 38 | | Righty Starters | 4.5 | 0.263 | 0.334 | 86 | 2945 | 774 | 172 | 15 | 72 | 0.405 | 369 | 315 | 621 | 58 | 645 | 71 | 48 | 71 | 36 |
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| All Games | 3.21 | 1.273 | 367.7 | 162 | 131 | 343 | 34 | 125 | 359 | 14-15 | 32 | 9 | 78% | | Road Games | 3.35 | 1.302 | 166.7 | 67 | 62 | 153 | 14 | 64 | 165 | 8-8 | 20 | 4 | 83.3% |
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| All Games | 61-73 | -11.1 | 73-56 | 4.3 | 0.271 | 0.324 | 0.426 | 0.751 | 5.1 | 0.273 | 0.331 | 0.450 | 0.780 | | Home Games | 30-36 | -11.6 | 33-30 | 4.3 | 0.277 | 0.332 | 0.431 | 0.763 | 4.6 | 0.260 | 0.319 | 0.415 | 0.734 | | vs Right-handed Starters | 42-58 | -15.4 | 54-41 | 4.3 | 0.268 | 0.317 | 0.417 | 0.734 | 5.2 | 0.276 | 0.332 | 0.452 | 0.784 | | Past 7 Games | 1-6 | -4.3 | 6-1 | 3.0 | 0.225 | 0.259 | 0.333 | 0.592 | 9.9 | 0.366 | 0.435 | 0.673 | 1.108 | | Grass Games | 60-68 | -7.6 | 70-54 | 4.5 | 0.274 | 0.329 | 0.433 | 0.761 | 5.0 | 0.270 | 0.328 | 0.441 | 0.769 | | Night Games | 34-50 | -15.2 | 41-38 | 3.9 | 0.262 | 0.315 | 0.409 | 0.724 | 5.3 | 0.281 | 0.335 | 0.467 | 0.802 | | Division | 31-23 | +9 | 33-21 | 4.7 | 0.281 | 0.339 | 0.443 | 0.782 | 4.7 | 0.273 | 0.322 | 0.423 | 0.746 |
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| All Games | 4.3 | 0.271 | 0.324 | 134 | 4658 | 1261 | 241 | 42 | 133 | 0.426 | 556 | 370 | 1036 | 73 | 915 | 148 | 69 | 132 | 57 | | Home Games | 4.3 | 0.277 | 0.332 | 66 | 2251 | 623 | 122 | 27 | 57 | 0.431 | 269 | 187 | 456 | 36 | 464 | 75 | 37 | 68 | 31 | | Righty Starters | 4.3 | 0.268 | 0.317 | 100 | 3498 | 937 | 178 | 28 | 96 | 0.417 | 413 | 249 | 778 | 52 | 665 | 110 | 54 | 99 | 35 |
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| All Games | 4.82 | 1.495 | 401.4 | 226 | 215 | 438 | 48 | 162 | 332 | 19-18 | 30 | 15 | 66.7% | | Home Games | 3.92 | 1.404 | 197.3 | 91 | 86 | 198 | 19 | 79 | 157 | 10-8 | 11 | 7 | 61.1% |
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| 8/22/2015 | SALAZAR(R) | @ NY YANKEES | SEVERINO(R) | 2-6 | L | 120 | 7.5 un | O | 6 | 7 | 2 | 13 | 7 | 0 | | 8/23/2015 | BAUER(R) | @ NY YANKEES | SABATHIA(L) | 4-3 | W | 140 | 8.5 ov | U | 9 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 1 | | 8/24/2015 | KLUBER(R) | @ CHICAGO CUBS | LESTER(L) | 1-2 | L | 120 | 7.5 ov | U | 6 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 1 | | 8/25/2015 | TOMLIN(R) | MILWAUKEE | PERALTA(R) | 11-6 | W | -170 | 8 un | O | 13 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 2 | | 8/26/2015 | ANDERSON(R) | MILWAUKEE | NELSON(R) | 6-2 | W | -130 | 7.5 ov | O | 11 | 11 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 1 | | 8/28/2015 | BAUER(R) | LA ANGELS | HEANEY(L) | 3-1 | W | -125 | 8 ov | U | 10 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | | 8/29/2015 | KLUBER(R) | LA ANGELS | RICHARDS(R) | 8-3 | W | -150 | 7 ov | O | 12 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 0 | | 8/30/2015 | TOMLIN(R) | LA ANGELS | WEAVER(R) | 9-2 | W | -135 | 8.5 ov | O | 10 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 6 | 1 | | 8/31/2015 | SALAZAR(R) | @ TORONTO | PRICE(L) | 4-2 | W | 200 | 7.5 un | U | 8 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 9 | 1 | | 9/1/2015 | ANDERSON(R) | @ TORONTO | ESTRADA(R) | 3-5 | L | 170 | 9 un | U | 9 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | | 9/2/2015 | BAUER(R) | @ TORONTO | DICKEY(R) | 1-5 | L | 155 | 9 un | U | 4 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 0 | | 9/4/2015 | TOMLIN(R) | @ DETROIT | LOBSTEIN(L) | 8-1 | W | -135 | 8.5 un | O | 11 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | | 9/5/2015 | SALAZAR(R) | @ DETROIT | SIMON(R) | | | 9/6/2015 | ANDERSON(R) | @ DETROIT | VERLANDER(R) | | | 9/7/2015 | BAUER(R) | @ CHI WHITE SOX | SALE(L) | | | 9/8/2015 | CARRASCO(R) | @ CHI WHITE SOX | RODON(L) | | | 9/9/2015 | TOMLIN(R) | @ CHI WHITE SOX | SAMARDZIJA(R) | | | 9/10/2015 | SALAZAR(R) | DETROIT | SIMON(R) | | | 9/11/2015 | ANDERSON(R) | DETROIT | VERLANDER(R) | | | 9/12/2015 | | DETROIT | | |
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| 8/22/2015 | WOLF(L) | TEXAS | GALLARDO(R) | 3-5 | L | -105 | 9 un | U | 11 | 8 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 0 | | 8/23/2015 | BOYD(L) | TEXAS | HAMELS(L) | 2-4 | L | +120 | 8.5 un | U | 9 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 1 | | 8/24/2015 | FARMER(R) | @ CINCINNATI | SAMPSON(R) | 5-12 | L | 105 | 8.5 ov | O | 11 | 10 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 0 | | 8/25/2015 | SIMON(R) | LA ANGELS | WEAVER(R) | 7-8 | L | +110 | 9 ev | O | 12 | 10 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 2 | | 8/26/2015 | VERLANDER(R) | LA ANGELS | SANTIAGO(L) | 5-0 | W | -135 | 9 un | U | 7 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | 8/27/2015 | WOLF(L) | LA ANGELS | SHOEMAKER(R) | 0-2 | L | +105 | 9 ov | U | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 0 | | 8/28/2015 | BOYD(L) | @ TORONTO | DICKEY(R) | 3-5 | L | 180 | 9.5 un | U | 6 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 0 | | 8/29/2015 | FARMER(R) | @ TORONTO | HUTCHISON(R) | 1-15 | L | 225 | 9.5 ov | O | 7 | 7 | 2 | 18 | 9 | 0 | | 8/30/2015 | SIMON(R) | @ TORONTO | BUEHRLE(L) | 2-9 | L | 185 | 9.5 un | O | 7 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 1 | | 9/1/2015 | VERLANDER(R) | @ KANSAS CITY | CUETO(R) | 6-5 | W | 170 | 7 ov | O | 11 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 1 | | 9/2/2015 | WOLF(L) | @ KANSAS CITY | VENTURA(R) | 1-12 | L | 175 | 8.5 un | O | 5 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 5 | 0 | | 9/3/2015 | BOYD(L) | @ KANSAS CITY | VOLQUEZ(R) | 7-15 | L | 155 | 9 ev | O | 14 | 10 | 0 | 20 | 8 | 1 | | 9/4/2015 | LOBSTEIN(L) | CLEVELAND | TOMLIN(R) | 1-8 | L | +125 | 8.5 un | O | 4 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 0 | | 9/5/2015 | SIMON(R) | CLEVELAND | SALAZAR(R) | | | 9/6/2015 | VERLANDER(R) | CLEVELAND | ANDERSON(R) | | | 9/7/2015 | WOLF(L) | TAMPA BAY | SMYLY(L) | | | 9/8/2015 | BOYD(L) | TAMPA BAY | RAMIREZ(R) | | | 9/9/2015 | LOBSTEIN(L) | TAMPA BAY | ODORIZZI(R) | | | 9/10/2015 | SIMON(R) | @ CLEVELAND | SALAZAR(R) | | | 9/11/2015 | VERLANDER(R) | @ CLEVELAND | ANDERSON(R) | | | 9/12/2015 | | @ CLEVELAND | | |
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| |  | CLEVELAND: CLEVELAND (AP) - While their AL Central rivals jockeyed during the offseason, one trying to outdo the other to improve their chances of winning a World Series title, the Indians watched.
That was the plan.
No, they didn't make any blockbuster trades, sign a big-name, big-ticket free agent or overhaul their roster with new faces. The Indians, who somehow stayed in contention last season until the waning days of September, didn't feel the need to make radical changes. It wasn't necessary.
The pieces are in place for Cleveland to have a special 2015 season.
''The team knows it,'' said second baseman Jason Kipnis. ''We got two winning seasons in a row. We had an 85-win season when we had about three guys playing good. The possibilities are there, the potential is there. That whole last year we never had more than a seven-game winning streak, never really got hot.
''We got the same corps. Same group of guys. We kind of want another chance at this again - and we're getting another chance.''
The Indians return virtually the same team that went 85-77 last season, finishing third behind division champion Detroit and wild-card winner Kansas City, which ended a postseason drought dating to 1985, won the pennant and pushed San Francisco to seven games in the World Series.
Watching the Royals inspired the Indians. And as he prepares for his third season in Cleveland, manager Terry Francona senses a different drive in his players.
They're hungry.
''Our veteran guys are trying to get better,'' he said. ''Our younger guys are excited to prove what they can do. I didn't see anybody just kind of go home and want to kind of keep the status quo. We're all excited about that.''
Francona said they're upping expectations both on performance and results.
''They're kind of at a stage where they're embracing trying to see if we can go up against some of these teams and, not only maybe hold our own, but maybe do a little more than that,'' Francona said.
There's no denying Francona's magical touch. The man who helped end Boston's supposed baseball curse, who got the Indians to the postseason in 2013, has an uncanny ability to convince players buy in to his program and get them to believe they can overcome any obstacles: injuries, payroll, low expectations, the Tigers lineup.
This spring, Francona didn't have to sell the Indians, who haven't won a World Series since 1948, on the idea they can compete. They already know that. Now it's a matter of taking the next step.
''When guys believe they can do it, and then they start to do it, then you see the confidence take over and guys take off, and you can accomplish a lot,'' he said. ''That's part of the fun of the season, to see how good you can get. I'd rather enjoy, as much as we can, the journey.''
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KLUBER UBER ALLES
All Corey Kluber did in his first major-league season was win 18 games, re-write some record books, dominate almost every time he pitched and win the AL Cy Young.
The 28-year-old could do it again.
Seemingly programmed because of his consistent performances and composed demeanor, Kluber gives the Indians a long-needed and legitimate No. 1 starter capable of winning every time he gets the ball. He scares opponents and makes his teammates better.
The Indians have discussed a long-term contract extension for the right-hander, who isn't even eligible for arbitration.
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YOUR TABLE, MR. BRANTLEY
Michael Brantley just might be baseball's most unassuming star, and he plans to keep it that way. The 27-year-old's breakout 2014 season - he batted .327 with 20 homers, 97 RBIs and a third-place finish in MVP voting - was followed by obligatory can-he-do-it-again questions.
Francona thinks Brantley might be poised for bigger things. The spotlight will find Brantley, but he's not craving it.
''He's so consistent at a high level that I don't see that going away,'' he said. ''He's so confident in what he's doing that I think he enjoys playing the game and the other things that come with it, I think he could take it or leave it. He has a really good understanding of who he is.''
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BETTER BE BETTER
For the Indians to get where they want, Kipnis (.240), CF Michael Bourn (106 games) and DH Nick Swisher (offseason knee surgeries) need to bounce back and produce more than they did in `14.
No position player is more important than Kipnis, a 2013 All-Star who was injured most of last season.
''He can affect the game so many ways - steal a base, get a bunt down, hit a ball in the gap,'' Francona said. | | DETROIT: DETROIT (AP) - The Detroit Tigers had barely finished celebrating a fourth straight division title last year when they were dispatched from the playoffs by Baltimore in a Division Series sweep. Then Kansas City - the team the Tigers fought so hard to hold off in the AL Central - rolled to the AL pennant and came within a game of winning the World Series.
It was enough to turn the Tigers into October afterthoughts for the first time in a while, and now it's fair to wonder whether Detroit's best chance to claim baseball's ultimate prize with its current core of stars has already come and gone.
''I'm not worried about what people are saying about us. I'm more worried about how we perform,'' manager Brad Ausmus said. ''I feel like this team is a winning team. This is a team that has an opportunity to win a World Series.''
The Tigers edged Kansas City by one game in the division last year in Ausmus' first season as manager, and their 90-72 record was similar enough to their previous work during this run of postseason appearances, but a three-game sweep at the hands of the Orioles snapped Detroit's streak of three straight trips to the AL Championship Series.
Then the Tigers lost Max Scherzer in the offseason, and it remains to be seen how much longer Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander and Victor Martinez can keep this team's run of success going.
Cabrera and Martinez each missed a chunk of the exhibition schedule after offseason surgery. Verlander is coming off a down year and has been displaced as Detroit's opening-day starter by left-hander David Price.
Over the past three seasons, the Tigers have fought off challenges in the division from the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland and Kansas City - but those teams essentially made their bids for first place one at a time. Now all three appear poised to threaten Detroit's reign.
''I think quietly, I've said for the last two or three years, I've said we have the best division in baseball. Nobody really talked about it because there weren't sexy names besides the Tigers, who had won however many straight and been to a couple World Series and had a lot of star power,'' Verlander said. ''The Royals won the pennant last year so, obviously, what I was saying wasn't just hogwash. We see all the teams in the AL quite enough, and I know that these teams are good enough to make our division one of the best in baseball.''
Here are a few things to watch as the Tigers try to make it five division championships in a row:
ON THE MEND: Cabrera had offseason surgery on his right foot and Martinez had an operation to repair his left knee. Their health is crucial, but the Tigers also are hoping for big contributions from shortstop Jose Iglesias and reliever Bruce Rondon, both of whom missed all of 2014 with injuries.
NEW-LOOK ROTATION: Scherzer isn't the only player gone from last year's starting staff. Rick Porcello was traded in a deal that brought Yoenis Cespedes to Detroit, so the Tigers had two openings in their rotation. They filled them by acquiring Shane Greene from the New York Yankees and Alfredo Simon from Cincinnati.
BULLPEN BLUES: Closer Joe Nathan is back after a rocky first season in Detroit. If the Tigers run out of patience with Nathan, Joakim Soria also returns. He was acquired shortly before the trade deadline last year, but his impact was limited, in part because of injury.
EXTRA POWER: J.D. Martinez provided a surprisingly productive bat last year after joining the Tigers, and the trade for Cespedes also gave Detroit some additional pop to supplement Cabrera and Victor Martinez.
NEW ACE?: Price is slated to start on opening day, a sign of just how much the Tigers are leaning on him after Scherzer's departure. He was acquired at the trade deadline last year, and Detroit is hoping the trio of Price, Verlander and Anibal Sanchez will make for a pretty impressive anchor to the pitching staff. |
| | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA SPORTSTICKER AL PREVIEW (CLEVELAND-DETROIT) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Indians-Tigers Preview* ========================
By JEFF BARTL STATS Senior Writer
Cleveland (64-68) at Detroit (61-72), 7:08 p.m. EDT
Danny Salazar battled through a draining illness in his last outing to extend an impressive run that ranks him as one of the AL's stingiest pitchers over the last two months.
The Detroit Tigers only wish they could pinpoint what's been wrong with Alfredo Simon lately.
Simon hasn't been the same since he beat the Cleveland Indians in mid-June, and he'll oppose Salazar looking to help the plummeting Tigers avoid a 13th loss in 15 games Saturday night at Comerica Park.
Salazar's 2.05 ERA in nine starts since July 10 leads the AL after he allowed two runs and struck out 10 in seven innings of Monday's 4-2 win at Toronto. Salazar (12-7, 3.27 ERA) admitted to being tired throughout that outing after being forced to miss his scheduled start against the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 28 because of an illness.
"He didn't take any hitters off, because you can't," manager Terry Francona said. "We were keeping an eye on his endurance. I'm glad we waited a few days or that would have been more of an issue."
Saturday marks the right-hander's fourth straight start on the road, where he's 3-1 with a 2.20 ERA in his last five. Salazar is 1-1 while pitching seven innings in both outings this season at Comerica Park, giving up four runs and striking out 17.
Detroit roughed him up in Cleveland on June 23, though, scoring each run in Salazar's 4 1-3 innings in a 7-3 victory. Miguel Cabrera has a homer among three hits off Salazar this season and is hitting .364 in their matchups lifetime.
The last-place Tigers (61-73) have won nine of 13 meetings this season despite losing Friday's series opener 8-1. Simon (11-9, 5.09) had a 2.58 ERA after pitching five scoreless innings in an 8-1 win over Cleveland on June 14, but he's gone 4-6 with a 7.84 ERA in 13 starts since while allowing at least four runs 11 times.
Detroit hoped the right-hander was getting back on track after pitching a one-hit shutout against Texas on Aug. 20, but he's given up 14 runs in 9 1-3 innings while dropping back-to-back starts.
Simon gave up a career-high four homers in Sunday's 9-2 loss to Toronto. He hasn't allowed any while posting a 2.12 ERA and winning all three of his starts against the Indians this season.
Michael Brantley has hit Simon well this year, though, and is 10 for 17 with four doubles in their career matchups. Brantley went 2 for 5 with an RBI double Friday to increase his average to .322, second in the AL to Cabrera's .360.
Brantley is hitting .438 with two homers and six doubles in his last 15 at Detroit.
Jerry Sands hit a two-run homer and added a triple for the Indians (65-68), who have won seven of nine. They're still fighting for the AL's second wild card, but would need to jump four other teams.
"I don't do anything differently against them than anyone else," said Sands, who is 6 for 13 in four games against the Tigers this season. "It is just one of those things that you can't explain."
Detroit has been outscored 102-43 during a 2-12 stretch and has dropped six of seven at home. Cabrera drove in the only run Friday for the Tigers, who learned before the game they will be without shortstop Jose Iglesias for two weeks.
Iglesias fractured his right middle finger after he was hit trying to bunt in Thursday's loss at Kansas City.
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| | Last Updated: 5/19/2024 11:20:12 PM EST. |
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