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Here Are The 2016 MLB Prime Time Television Ratings For Each Team Maury Brown/Forbes With the 2016 Major League season nearing an end, it’s time to begin looking at the popularity of the game, and with it, how it fared on television. The league continues to be a dominate force in prime time during the summer; something that bodes well for advertisers that take advantage of the large number of games, as well as the craving of sports fans who seek live content outside of the grips of DVRs.

The data from Nielsen that covers the 29 U.S. clubs in the league from April 3-Sept 25 shows that nine clubs had the No. 1 ranking across all TV networks in prime time (Royals, Tigers, Orioles, Pirates, Indians, Red Sox, Mariners, and Giants). More than half the league (16 out of 29) saw them rank in the top 3 across all television networks . Out of the 29 clubs charted, 24, or 83% of the league saw the No. 1 rated programming in primetime on just cable over the course of the season.

Overall, for the 29 clubs, ratings were up 1% over last year’s data of the 29 U.S. teams. Fifteen of the 29 saw ratings increases over their prime time ratings in 2015.

For the second year in a row, the led the league with a stunning 11.70 rating, down from the whopping 12.98 in prime time last season on Kansas City. The Royals were the only club this year to see their average rating in prime time in -digits. Coming in with the second-highest ratings for the league in consecutive years was the St. Louis Cardinals with an 8.54 rating on FOX Sports Midwest, down from a 10.86 last season. They were followed by the Tigers (7.56 average rating, up from 6.42 last season on FOX Sports ), and who saw a 36% increase in ratings over last season pulling a 7.28 average rating on MASN.

Also on Forbes: In a sign that baseball has shifted to a more regionalized fan experience, local sports fans are also choosing regional sports networks over ESPN on the nights their MLB teams play. ESPN’s average local ratings crack the top 10 compared to RSN MLB ratings in only three markets (Kansas City at #9, Cleveland at #7 and Atlanta at #7). Otherwise, ESPN falls somewhere between 11 and 20 across the remaining markets.

In terms of the largest increase in prime time ratings, the AL Central winning rank at No. 6 seeing an eye-popping 71% increase in their year-over-year average rating in prime time pulling a 7.03 compared to a 4.10 average rating last season on SportsTime Ohio. The Indians were followed by the NL Central champion who pulled a 39% increase over the 2015 season posting a 5.00 average rating on CSN Chicago. From 2014 to this season, the Cubs have seen a complete turnaround in viewership in prime time. Over the course of two seasons, the Cubs have gone from a 1.54 average in prime time, a 225% increase.

On the declining side, the disappointing season for the were reflective in terms of television interest. Ratings dropped from a 4.13 at the end of 2015 to a 2.65 on FOX Sports San Diego, a decline of 36%. The Padres were followed by the and who each saw ratings drop 34% compared to last season in prime time.

And while they continue to see struggles in getting broad distribution, the saw ratings increase 28% over last year on LA. The NL West champions saw Vin Scully call his final home game on Sept. 25th.

For those wondering about ratings for the , while the Nielsen numbers do not correspond directly to the viewership data in Canada, ratings through July on SportsNet were up 50% over last year, averaging a solid 928,000 per game across all time slots. Those figures are likely to have increased over the remainder of the season.

Below are shows ratings and viewership numbers for the sports prime time window from April 3-Sept 25, how the programming ranked across all networks, how the programming ranked against cable, last year’s rating average, the increase or decrease from the year prior, and how games ranked on ESPN when the home team played to the national audience.

Rnk Mkt Team Rtg 2016 000s Rtg 2015 + or – 2015 All TV Cable ESPN Rnk All TV 1 Kansas City Royals 11.70 105 12.98 -10% 1 1 9 2 St. Louis Cardinals8.54 104 10.86 -21% 1 1 12 3 7.56 138 6.42 18% 1 1 18 4 BaltimoreOrioles 7.28 80 5.35 36% 1 1 18 5 Pirates 7.22 83 9.15 -21% 1 1 20 6 Cleveland Indians 7.03 105 4.10 71% 1 1 7 7 Red Sox 6.93 167 5.20 33% 1 1 19 8 5.84 103 5.48 7% 1 1 20 9 Bay Area Giants 4.71 117 4.99 -6% 1 1 15 10 Chicago Cubs 5.00 174 3.60 39% 2 1 13 11 Rangers 3.96 105 3.19 24% 2 1 11 12 Minneapolis Twins 3.59 62 4.52 -21% 3 1 18 13 Tampa /St. Pete Rays 2.95 55 4.12 -28% 3 1 16 14 Denver Rockies 2.84 45 2.09 36% 3 1 12 15 Wash, DC Nationals 2.78 68 2.73 2% 3 1 15 16 San Diego Padres 2.65 28 4.13 -36% 3 1 17 17 3.44 30 4.42 -22% 4 1 14 18 3.26 95 3.00 9% 4 1 11 19 2.92 215 2.84 3% 4 1 14 20 2.88 68 2.42 19% 4 1 11 21 Phoenix Dbacks 2.57 48 3.89 -34% 4 1 20 22 2.97 26 3.95 -25% 5 1 18 23 2.52 196 3.06 -18% 5 2 14 24 Atlanta Braves 1.25 30 1.9 -34% 6 2 7 25 1.86 31 1.78 4% 7 1 15 26 Los Angeles Dodgers 1.32 73 1.03 28% 7 1 17 27 1.14 63 1.6 -29% 9 2 17 28 1.00 35 0.79 27% 9 3 13 29 Bay Area Athletics 0.77 19 0.91 -15% 12 5 15 Source: Nielsen Arianna Live+SD Data Stream 4/3-9/25/16

Indians dealt rain-shortened loss in Detroit By Jordan Bastian and Jason Beck / MLB.com | 2:19 AM ET + 33 COMMENTS DETROIT -- The Tigers couldn't beat the rain Wednesday night, but they had just enough at-bats to beat the Indians. 's three- in the fifth came right before the downpour that stopped play at Park to finish out a rain-shortened 6-3 win.

The Tigers' second straight victory kept them within a game of the second Wild Card spot after the Orioles rallied in the ninth to beat the Blue Jays in Toronto. If the two teams finish the season tied for the spot, they'd play a one-game tiebreaker in Baltimore on Monday. Toronto is a game ahead of the O's for the top Wild Card. The Indians remain one game back of the AL East champion Red Sox, who would open the ALDS at home against Cleveland as things currently stand. The Rangers currently hold the AL's top seed for the playoffs, meaning they would play the winner of the AL Wild Card Game. If the Wild Card race goes to a tiebreaker, would be in line to start it. If not, then the Tigers rookie closed his regular season Wednesday with three runs on six hits allowed over 3 1/3 , the final two runs coming in the fourth inning following a 45-minute rain delay. Carlos Santana's two-out RBI single off Blaine Hardy tied it, nullifying Ian Kinsler's two-run homer in the third on a night when the Indians had a procession of relievers set up. "They were just taking pitches," Fulmer said. "I thought I made some quality pitches, especially the slider in. And they weren't biting at it. So I have to make an adjustment." A pair of fifth-inning singles, one of them a Jose Iglesias line drive that Lonnie Chisenhall lost in the lights and raindrops, set up Cabrera, who -- moments after thunder rumbled -- the first pitch he saw from Joseph Colon on a line into the right-field seats. When the inning finished three batters later, the game was official. After a delay of 1 hour, 12 minutes, all of it spent under continuous rain, the game was called. The two teams spent almost as much time in delays (1:57) as actually playing (2:02). "It's in 's hands. They have to sign off on it," Brad Ausmus said. "But I guess from all accounts, there's at least another three hours of rain coming. With a day game tomorrow, there's no reason to sit around and hope there's a window at 1 o'clock in the morning, which is no guarantee." Indians manager noted that, if the weather were to get in the way of Thursday's game, necessitating a makeup, Cleveland would need to return to Detroit on Monday. The Indians have a three-game series in Kansas City this weekend, and will begin their AL Division Series on Oct. 6. "The umpires work in concert with the league and us," Francona said of the decision to call the game. "They were good about communicating with us. You try to use common sense. You also know that the Tigers are playing for a lot. So, we talked before and actually during the rain delays. I think they did a good job of handling it. Nobody wants to stay until 3 in the morning, knowing tomorrow might be a long one, too." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Crushed by Kinsler: The Tigers came out of the first rain delay slugging, from James McCann's double off the left-field fence leading off the third to Iglesias' RBI double down the left-field line into a giant puddle in foul territory. But Kinsler's 27th home run of the year, a drive into the , was the big blow. The two-run homer tied him with Damion Easley for second-most home runs in a season by a Tigers , one behind Lou Whitaker. Naquin shows off arm: With two outs in the first, Cabrera drilled a fastball from Zach McAllister to deep right-center field with an exit velocity of 107 mph, per Statcast™. Cabrera had a surefire single, but decided to test rookie Tyler Naquin, pushing past first for a would-be double. Naquin uncorked a 94-mph throw that soared 234 feet. Shortstop gloved the throw, applied the tag and then helped Cabrera off his feet after the inning's final out. "That was a nice play, wasn't it?" Francona said. "He never gives up. If you go hard all the time, you've got a chance to do something like that. Now, it was obviously a great throw, but I think there was some stuff leading up to it. He got to it quick. That was a fun play to watch." Cabrera atones: Cabrera thought his first-inning drive was gone, only to watch it hit off the wall. His fifth-inning drive, on the other hand, had little doubt, a classic Cabrera opposite-field swing toward the right-field corner. His 36th home run of the season was his 306th as a Tiger, tying him with for third in franchise history. More > "Great," Cabrera said. "But I still gotta go out there and play [Thursday]." Bases unloaded: The Tribe had a chance to break the game open against Fulmer in the third, when (double), Lindor (walk) and Santana (walk) loaded the bases with no outs. Jose Ramirez, who entered the day batting .360 with runners in scoring position and .429 with the bases full, then popped out on the first pitch. Fulmer followed by retiring Chisenhall and to escape unscathed. The Indians are batting .224 with the bases loaded this year and are one of two teams (along with Atlanta) with no grand slams. More > QUOTABLE "That field was getting sloppy towards the end there. I understand, they wanted to get to that fifth. I get it. I understand." -- Francona, on playing through heavy rain in the fifth inning "I was more worried about a win. I'd rather pitch in the postseason than get a personal achievement, honestly. It might be a once-in-a-lifetime chance. You never know." -- Fulmer, on not getting the 6 1/3 innings he needed to qualify for the AL ERA title WHAT'S NEXT Indians: Rookie lefty Ryan Merritt (0-0, 1.50 ERA) will make the first start of his Major League career in a 1:10 p.m. ET tilt with the Tigers on Thursday at Comerica Park. In 143 1/3 innings with Triple-A Columbus this year, Merritt went 11-8 with a 3.70 ERA, 92 and 23 walks. Tigers: Detroit's postseason hopes continue to rest on the arms of the club's young . Daniel Norris (3-2, 3.59 ERA) takes the mound in Thursday's series finale looking to beat the Indians for the second time this year.

Francona expects Kluber will be 'fine' by ALDS By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | September 28th, 2016 + 11 COMMENTS DETROIT -- Indians manager Terry Francona wants everyone to calm down.

The Indians are currently down their top three starters, but ace Corey Kluber is not expected to be sidelined for long. Barring any setbacks, Kluber's mild quadriceps strain should not get in the way of him logging a couple bullpen sessions in the days leading up to the American League Division Series. "It's not like he's in a wheelchair," Francona said on Wednesday afternoon. "He'll be fine." Kluber exited Monday's AL Central-clinching win over the Tigers after four innings due to the quadriceps strain, which was identified in an MRI exam on Tuesday in Cleveland. The right-hander was back with the team in Detroit by Tuesday night and was already feeling improved by Wednesday. Francona noted that Kluber pitched through some discomfort for part of Monday's outing, but Cleveland decided it was most prudent to remove the starter from the game. The Indians are also missing righties Danny Salazar (right forearm) and Carlos Carrasco (fractured right hand) at the moment, so Kluber will be a critical piece to Cleveland's postseason plans. The team announced on Tuesday that Kluber should be ready to return to game action in 7-10 days, putting him on target for a start for Game 1 (Oct. 6) or Game 2 (Oct. 7) in the ALDS. First, the right-hander will need to clear a few hurdles, including bullpen sessions. Francona said there is not a set day yet for Kluber's first mound workout. "Not until he's ready to do it," Francona said. "That goes completely on how he's doing. I would think he would be able to get a couple in, for sure." Under the circumstances, the Indians finalized their planned rotation for the regular season's final games. Following Wednesday's bullpen day (with Zach McAllister starting), Cleveland will go with rookie lefty Ryan Merritt (Thursday at Tigers), rookie righty (Friday at Royals), (Saturday at Royals) and (Sunday at Royals). Salazar was scheduled to throw off a mound in a bullpen session on Wednesday and is still a possibility to begin the postseason in the bullpen for Cleveland. If the Indians were to advance deep into the playoffs, there is a slight chance that the team would try to stretch Salazar out to start. "Obviously, we're up against the calendar," Indians president of baseball operations said on Monday. "He's still just now throwing . So, there's only a certain amount of time we have to build him back up. Especially for any sort of early round of the playoffs, if anything it would be out of the bullpen." All indications are that Cleveland plans on using a three-man rotation for the ALDS, with right-handers Bauer and Tomlin joining Kluber on the staff. Rookie righty Mike Clevinger is available as a fourth option for Cleveland, but Francona reiterated on Wednesday that the team likes him as a multi-inning weapon out of the bullpen. "For whatever reason, coming out of the bullpen, they've both been more aggressive," said Francona, referring also to Cody Anderson. "I'm glad. You're seeing their best stuff. It hasn't worked real good starting, but they don't have to. You're always trying to take what the players do good and do that more."

No playoffs for Almonte, but he helped Tribe By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | September 28th, 2016 + 2 COMMENTS DETROIT -- Abraham Almonte wanted his season to end with a party. The Indians got his wish on Monday night, when Cleveland celebrated its championship in a Comerica Park clubhouse that still has the faint smell of champagne lingering two days later.

For five more days, Almonte can continue to enjoy this moment with his teammates. When Cleveland advances to its AL Division Series, though, he will not be eligible to participate in any postseason games. That is the last remaining part of his punishment, which included an 80- game suspension for testing positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance. "It feels a little hard, because you know you want to be there for your guys," Almonte said. "You want to keep helping your team as much as possible. It's a hard feeling, but like I always say, it's not something that I can control. I just have to keep doing what I have to do for these last five games and after that, support my team." Almonte, who was suspended during Spring Training, was activated for the Indians on July 3 in Toronto. Since then, the outfielder has done his part within Cleveland's platoon-based outfield, helping the team make up for the losses of Michael Brantley (right shoulder) and Marlon Byrd (suspension). Indians manager Terry Francona did not hesitate to put Almonte back in the lineup upon his return, and the outfielder did not feel he was treated any differently by his teammates. That support meant a lot to Almonte, who made it his goal to help Cleveland in any way he could to reach the postseason. "They make it so easy for me to feel at home, comfortable," Almonte said. "Especially Tito and the players. They have something special and I appreciate it. This year, they did it again. I came back after three months and they received me with open arms like nothing happened. [It was], 'Let's play together and fight together,' and that helped me a lot, too." Through 65 games, Almonte has hit .267 with 22 extra-base hits, 22 RBIs, eight stolen bases and a .702 OPS. The switch-hitter has helped out most against left-handed pitching, posting a 103 wRC+ and .771 OPS from the right-handed batter's box. Almonte has been a plus baserunner (1.7 BsR) and has posted a 0.5 WAR this year, according to Fangraphs. Knowing Almonte would be ineligible for the postseason, Cleveland acquired veteran outfielder Coco Crisp on Aug. 31 in a trade with the A's. Crisp has been receiving more playing time of late and has shown improvement at the plate after hitting .156 in his first 12 games with the Tribe. Francona said it is important to keep Crisp in the lineup, given Almonte's situation. "The reality of it is Abe's not going to play," Francona said. "I wish he was. It's nice to have him being able to maybe pinch-hit, but with five games left, we need to play the guys that [we'll have]." Almonte understands that approach, too. "When I came here before the All-Star Game, it was not a really bad situation," Almonte said. "They had been winning without me and been doing great things without me. When I came in, they put me in a group that had been doing things the right way. I think they have the potential to keep doing it."

Tribe turns to rookie in quest for home field By Kyle Beery / MLB.com | 12:13 AM ET + 2 COMMENTS The Tigers continue to rely on their youthful starting rotation to keep them alive in the American League Wild Card chase, and 23-year-old Daniel Norris (3-2, 3.59 ERA) takes the mound for Thursday's series finale at Comerica Park.

Following a rain-shortened win against the Indians on Wednesday, the Tigers trail the Orioles by one game in the Wild Card standings and have a one-game cushion on the Mariners. The stakes are high, but Norris said he thinks he has done a good job of learning to control his emotions on the mound this season. "I think during the game, through my career, that's been my problem, is just trying to stay even-keeled," Norris said. "When things get going or it's a big pitch, I have to be able to remain calm and focus on executing it. I know what's at stake and I can't wait to pitch." Norris is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in two starts against the Indians this year, one of which he left after suffering an oblique strain. Now that he has been healthy for most of the second half of the season, Norris is happy to be back in rhythm, relishing the opportunity at hand. "I finally don't have any injuries lingering around, and I've really been able to work every day with [pitching Rich] Dubee and work on my mechanics," Norris said. With the AL Central already clinched, the Indians are taking time to set up their postseason pitching rotation by sending lefty rookie Ryan Merritt (0-0, 1.50) to the mound for his first Major League start. Merritt has made three big league relief appearances, allowing one run in six innings. He went 11-8 with a 3.70 ERA in 24 starts at Triple-A Columbus. Things to know about this game • received two days off after the Indians clinched the division on Monday. He could be back in the lineup Thursday to face the left- handed Norris, while Carlos Santana could get the day off. • The Indians have dominated the season series with the Tigers, going 14-4. This will be their first season with a winning record against Detroit since 2012, when they held a 10-8 advantage. • Miguel Cabrera is batting .400 (16-for-40) over his last 11 games with 14 RBIs and seven extra-base hits, including three home runs. Kyle Beery is a reporter for MLB.com based in Detroit. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League

Miguel Cabrera’s home run gives Tigers rain-shortened victory over Cleveland Indians, 6-3 By Noah Trister, The DETROIT >> Manager Terry Francona has the luxury of knowing the Indians are headed to the postseason no matter what.

So losing a rain-shortened game in late September — in the final half-inning, no less — doesn’t sting as much as it could.

Miguel Cabrera hit a tiebreaking three-run shot in the fifth moments before the game was halted for good, and the Detroit Tigers came away with a 6-3 victory over the Indians on Wednesday night. The game’s second rain delay began after that fifth inning and lasted 72 minutes before Detroit was awarded the win.

Francona didn’t seem too upset to lose in this fashion. Cleveland, which clinched the AL Central title Monday, plays the series finale at Detroit on Thursday afternoon, but there was no telling when the rain would stop.

“I think they did a good job of handling it,” Francona said. “Nobody wanted to stay here until three in the morning, knowing that tomorrow might be a long one too.”

The Tigers trail Baltimore by one game for the American League’s second wild card.

The rain was a factor throughout the evening — there was also a delay during the third inning — and it was coming down when Detroit began its rally in the fifth. With two on and one out, Cabrera hit a line drive over the wall in right off Joseph Colon (1-3) for his 36th homer.

“When you score runs, anytime in the game, it’s big,” Cabrera said. “Doesn’t matter rain, no rain, if the sun is coming out.”

There was actually a cheer from the crowd when the grounds crew emerged to put the tarp on the field at the end of the fifth.

Blaine Hardy (1-0) won in relief of Michael Fulmer, who lasted only 3 1/3 innings.

Before the game, it looked like a mid-game delay would likely hurt the Tigers, who were hoping for a big night from Fulmer. Cleveland was starting Zach McAllister, who has pitched almost exclusively in relief this year, so the Indians figured to be using their bullpen quite a bit anyway.

But both times the game was stopped, Detroit seemed to benefit. The Tigers trailed 1-0 when the game was delayed 45 minutes in the third. When it resumed, James McCann and Jose Iglesias hit consecutive doubles off reliever Cody Anderson, and Ian Kinsler followed with a two- run homer to put Detroit up 3-1.

Fulmer came back after the delay and took the mound in the fourth. The rookie pitched to only three more batters before being lifted after an RBI single by Rajai Davis. Carlos Santana hit an RBI single later that inning to tie it.

Fulmer’s ERA rose to 3.06, and unless he pitches again in the regular season, he’ll fall a few innings short of qualifying for the title.

In the Detroit fifth, Iglesias led off with a line drive to right, which Lonnie Chisenhall misplayed for a single. He appeared to have trouble with either the lights or the rain. One out later, Cameron Maybin singled, bringing Cabrera up with two on.

“The field was getting a little sloppy there toward the end,” Francona said. “I understand there, they wanted to get to that fifth. I get it, I understand.”

TRAINER’S ROOM Tigers: 3B Nick Castellanos, who returned Tuesday night from a left hand injury, was in the starting lineup Wednesday and was 0 for 1.

UP NEXT Indians: LHP Ryan Merritt (0-0) makes his first major league start in the series finale Sept. 29 at Detroit. Tigers: Detroit starts LHP Daniel Norris (3-2).

Corey Kluber has mild quadriceps strain Cleveland ace Corey Kluber, who won the 2014 AL Award and is a top contender for the honor this year, had an MRI on Tuesday in Cleveland that confirmed he has a mild quadriceps strain.

The Indians say his timetable for returning to game activity is a week to 10 days, which could force the AL Central champions to delay his first playoff start. Cleveland's first playoff game is Oct. 6.

It's another blow for the Indians, who are already missing starting pitchers Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar.

"It's obviously not the best possible news, but it is a heck of a lot better than it could have been,'' manager Terry Francona said. "This will give him a chance to rest up and hopefully throw a couple bullpens. In the long run, that could help him.''

Indians ace Corey Kluber might be forced to delay his first playoff start as he recovers from a mild quadriceps strain. AP Photo/John Bazemore Cleveland is bumping right-hander Trevor Bauer back to the weekend. The Indians will start Zach McAllister, who has pitched almost exclusively out of the bullpen this year, on Wednesday against the Tigers. On Thursday, Ryan Merritt will make his first career start.

"Our objective always is to win, but we'll get to see everybody, we'll try to manage people's innings,'' Francona said. "We really need to keep our pitchers healthy so they can be productive.''

Salazar threw a bullpen session Monday, but Carrasco is out for the season.

Indians fall to Detroit Tigers 6-3 in rain-shortened game By Ryan Lewis Published: September 28, 2016 The Indians were snake-bitten by Miguel Cabrera yet again and fell to the Detroit Tigers 6-3 on Wednesday night in a rain-shortened game that lasted only five innings. The Indians and Tigers underwent two rain delays before finally succumbing to the weather. Cabrera again proved why he’s one of the most lethal hitters in baseball over the last decade or so. The Indians and Tigers entered the bottom of the fifth inning tied 3-3. There had already been a 45-minute rain delay and additional rain, lightning and thunder were on the way. With a tied game, had there been a delay at that time, the two teams would have had to either finish it on Thursday or come back on Monday. But, facing Joe Colon, Cabrera made that all moot, blasting a three-run home run to the opposite field to give the Tigers a 6-3 lead. Fewer than 10 minutes later, the inning was over, the game was now official and the tarp came onto the field for a second time. The home run—Cabrera’s 36th—came just in time. Prior to Cabrera’s game-winner, the Indians took an early lead, lost it and then fought back to again deadlock the score. Carlos Santana doubled home a run in the first inning against Tigers starter and American League Rookie of the Year contender Micheal Fulmer, making it 1-0. The Indians had a chance to add on in the top of the third, loading the bases with nobody out. But Fulmer retired Jose Ramirez and Lonnie Chisenhall on pop-outs and Coco Crisp grounded out to end the inning. Zach McAllister held the Tigers scoreless through two innings but was finished after the first delay. Cody Anderson entered and quickly ran into a buzzsaw. Brian McCann doubled and Jose Iglesias each doubled, and Ian Kinsler followed with a two-run home run. Seven pitches into Anderson’s appearance, he gave up three hits and three runs. The Indians rallied in the fourth to tie it 3-3. Tyler Naquin—another AL Rookie of the Year contender—singled and scored on Rajai Davis’ single to left-center field. Santana then tied it with an RBI-single of his own to center field. Wednesday’s result has positive and negative elements to it for the Indians. The Indians add a loss as they battle for the No. 1 seed in the American League. But, with the pitching staff barely being behold together, the Indians also save four innings of work for the bullpen. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 09.29.2016 Tigers 6, Indians 3 (5 innings): Miguel Cabrera, Tigers dump Indians in rain-shortened game By Ryan Lewis DETROIT: The Indians were snake-bitten by Miguel Cabrera yet again and fell to the Detroit Tigers 6-3 on Wednesday night in a rain-shortened game that lasted only five innings. The Indians and Tigers sat through two rain delays before the game was finally called. Cabrera again proved why he’s been one of the most lethal hitters in baseball over the last decade. The teams entered the bottom of the fifth inning tied 3-3. There had already been a 45-minute rain delay and additional rain, lightning and thunder were on the way. Had there been another delay with the game tied, the teams would have had to finish it on Thursday or come back on Monday. But, facing Joe Colon, Cabrera made that all moot by blasting a three-run home run to the opposite field to give the Tigers a 6-3 lead. Less than 10 minutes later, the inning was over, the game was official and the tarp came onto the field for a second time. The home run — Cabrera’s 36th — came just in time for the Tigers. Prior to Cabrera’s game-winner, the Indians took an early lead, lost it and then fought back to again deadlock the score. Carlos Santana doubled home a run in the first inning against Tigers starter and American League Rookie of the Year contender Michael Fulmer, making it 1-0. The Indians had a chance to add on in the third, loading the bases with nobody out. But Fulmer retired Jose Ramirez and Lonnie Chisenhall on pop-outs and Coco Crisp grounded out to end the inning. Zach McAllister held the Tigers scoreless through two innings but was finished after the first delay. Cody Anderson entered and quickly ran into a buzz saw. Brian McCann and Jose Iglesias each doubled, and Ian Kinsler followed with a two-run home run. Seven pitches into Anderson’s appearance, and he had given up three hits and three runs. The Indians rallied in the fourth to tie it 3-3. Tyler Naquin — another AL Rookie of the Year contender — singled and scored on Rajai Davis’ single to left-center field. Santana then tied it with an RBI single to center field. Wednesday’s result was both positive and negative for the Indians. Although they absorbed a loss as they battle for the No. 1 seed in the American League, they also saved four innings of work for the bullpen with a pitching staff barely being held together. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 09.29.2016 Indians notebook: Corey Kluber expected to be ready for ALDS; Mike Clevinger headed back to bullpen By Ryan Lewis DETROIT: The Indians expect ace Corey Kluber to be ready for the American League Division Series and consider his timetable to return, for the most part, good news compared to what could have been. Kluber was diagnosed Tuesday night with a mild strain of a quadriceps muscle after his Monday start in which he threw only 60 pitches before being pulled. He was given a timetable to return to baseball activity of 7-to-10 days, which puts him right up against Game 1 of the ALDS on Oct. 6 or Game 2 on Oct. 7. Indians manager Terry Francona confirmed on Wednesday that the club is confident Kluber will be ready to throw a bullpen session or two prior to the beginning of the postseason. “It’s a heck of a lot better than it could’ve been,” Francona said. “I think we were hopeful that he’d be OK but, again, when a guy’s out there competing, you don’t know how much they’re really hurting. But this will give him a chance to hopefully have a bullpen session or two. Hopefully, it’ll maybe even help him. I think it’s certainly not bad news.” Kluber’s regular season is done but, barring a setback, it doesn’t appear his postseason availability will be affected. “He pitched four innings with this,” Francona said. “We just kind of wanted to get him out of there because we didn’t want it to get worse. It’s not like he’s in a wheelchair. He’ll be fine.” With Kluber out, the Indians have lined up the rest of the regular-season rotation, with Ryan Merritt starting on Thursday, Adam Plutko Friday, Trevor Bauer Saturday and Josh Tomlin finishing the regular season — barring a postponement — on Sunday. Although the starters are set, the rest of the pitching staff continues to be shuffled. Mike Clevinger, Tuesday’s starter, is heading back to the bullpen for at least the remainder of the regular season. The move potentially means two things as it pertains to the postseason. The first is that it could increase the odds that the Indians use a three- man rotation, at least in the ALDS, with Kluber, Bauer and Tomlin. Pitching coach has previously discussed Kluber and Bauer being able to throw on short rest. It also confirms the Indians’ confidence that Kluber will be ready to start Game 1 or Game 2. Callaway added that, if needed, Clevinger is stretched out enough that a 1-2 week absence wouldn’t negate his being able to start a game. The Indians have pieced together their pitching staff for the last several weeks. The puzzle is still being rearranged and an ongoing project. Akron Beacon Journal LOADED: 09.29.2016 20 games that helped make Cleveland Indians the AL Central champions: DMan's Report Dennis Manoloff, The Plain Dealer By Dennis Manoloff, The Plain Dealer CLEVELAND, Ohio -- I have watched every inning of every Cleveland Indians game for the past three seasons. This season has provided ample opportunity to chronicle good performances by the Tribe. The Indians finished above .500 in 2014 (85-77) and in 2015 (81-80) but did not make the playoffs. This season, though, they won the AL Central Division; their record was 91-64 at the time of the clinch Monday night in Detroit. Below are my favorite games that helped secure the division title, the franchise's first since 2007. (The regular season concludes Sunday in Kansas City, Mo.) Click on link for respective game reports: 1. Trevor Bauer worked five scoreless innings in relief and earned the victory -- the Tribe's 14th straight. Game 79, July 1 @ Toronto (W, 2-1/19 INN) 2. Ridiculous walkoff, even for the Tribe. Game 120, Aug. 19 vs. Toronto (W, 3-2) 3. An on-the-fly masterpiece overseen by the bullpen maestro, manager Terry Francona. Game 148, Sept. 17 vs. Detroit (W, 1-0/10 INN) 4. Roberto Perez and Coco Crisp powered Tribe to division clincher -- and 14th victory in first 16 meetings with Tigers. Game 156, Sept. 26 @ Detroit (W, 7-4) 5. Fernando Rodney melted, Tribe walked him off. Game 135, Sept. 4 vs. Miami (W, 6-5) 6. Well-earned walkoff against an American League power; snapped three-game skid. Game 51, June 1 vs. Texas (W, 5-4/11 INN) 7. Travel-weary Tribe scratched out victory behind the Carloses, Carrasco and Santana. Game 123, Aug. 22 @ Oakland (W, 1-0) 8. Carrasco struck out 14 in 7 1/3 as Tribe won 13th straight. Game 78, June 30 @ Toronto (W, 4-1) 9. Tribe bats rocked in support of Josh Tomlin. Game 74, June 26 @ Detroit (W, 9-3) 10. White Sox ace Chris Sale, who had been 9-0, chased after 3 1/3 innings. Game 44, May 24 @ White Sox (W, 6-2) 11. Tribe capped four-game sweep of defending world champion Royals, who entered series having won six straight games. Game 55, June 5 vs. Kansas City (W, 7-0) 12. One remarkably good swing after another against one of MLB's best, Jose Fernandez. Game 134, Sept. 3 vs. Miami (W, 8-3) 13. Tyler Naquin went wild in difficult place for Tribe to win. Game 94, July 20 @ Kansas City (W, 11-4) 14. Rajai Davis, Francisco Lindor fueled stirring comeback. Game 37, May 18 @ Cincinnati (W, 8-7/12 INN) 15. Superb plate appearances in ninth inning produced walkoff against a first-place club. Game 98, July 26 vs. Washington (W, 7-6) 16. Michael Brantley, Chris Gimenez among standouts as Tribe swept Tigers for second time in 14 days. Game 25, May 5 vs. Detroit (W, 9-4) 17. Quality pitching, Jason Kipnis' walkoff single provided foundation for eventual three-game sweep against a club that had given Tribe fits. Game 130, Aug. 29 vs. Minnesota (W, 1-0/10 INN) 18. Tribe hit, ran at will in rout. Game 113, Aug. 12 vs. L.A. Angels (W, 13-3) 19. Santana walkoff homer came in opener of eventual three-game sweep. Game 66, June 17 vs. White Sox (W, 3-2) 20. Indians notched four triples, and Davis made terrific defensive play to end game. Game 72, June 24 @ Detroit (W, 7-5) Note: Final score changed from 7-4 to 7-5 after last play was determined to be a sacrifice fly, then third out of inning. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 09.29.2016 What can Cleveland Indians do with this ravaged rotation? Zack Meisel's musings Zack Meisel, cleveland.com By Zack Meisel, cleveland.com DETROIT -- Carlos Santana knew he was batting fourth, but nothing else. He hadn't seen Terry Francona's lineup on Tuesday, so when he finished talking to reporters about his inclusion in it, he strolled over to the center of the clubhouse and peered at the white sheet. After he stared at it for a minute, he turned and glanced at a couple of his teammates in the corner of the room. "It's surprising," Michael Martinez said in Spanish. The Indians deployed one of the more memorable day-after-clinching lineups in team history on Tuesday, with Chris Gimenez at third, Adam Moore behind the plate, Erik Gonzalez at short, Martinez at second and Jesus Aguilar at first. The unit didn't accomplish much against Detroit's Justin Verlander, but it provided the starters with a day of rest. Francona said the regulars will play the rest of the way. 'Hangover lineup' is one for the ages Here are five thoughts on the Tribe. 1. Rotating: There are three burning questions when it comes to the Indians' pitching staff. • What is Corey Kluber's status? • How will the club piece together the final five regular-season games, while acknowledging that playoff seeding is still up in the air? • Who will still be standing and available to start for the Tribe in the postseason? Let's start with Kluber, who -- as an MRI revealed on Tuesday -- is suffering from a mild quadriceps strain. The prognosis indicated that he could return to game action in 7-10 days. The Indians' first postseason tilt will fall right in that range. Francona said he was hopeful that Kluber would be able to throw a bullpen session or two between now and the playoffs. He sounded encouraged that the MRI results weren't more harrowing. Still, with Kluber's status in question, the Indians might not be able to configure their postseason rotation until the last minute. MRI reveals quad strain for Kluber 2. Rotating II: Zach McAllister and Ryan Merritt will start the final two games of the series in Detroit. Francona said he would let McAllister pitch until he tires, but the right-hander hasn't thrown more than 36 pitches in any outing this season. So, Wednesday is essentially another bullpen day, and it comes on the heels of Mike Clevinger's two-inning start on Tuesday. That's a lot of work for a bullpen, even one that includes a wave of September call-ups. Merritt hasn't pitched since he logged two-thirds of an inning on Sept. 12. Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin, the club's two remaining healthy starters, will each pitch once this weekend. Adam Plutko could also receive a start. Francona discusses Kluber's injury 3. Rotating III: The Indians seem confident -- desperate is also an appropriate adjective for this situation -- that Kluber will be able to make a start in the AL Division Series. Whether that means he'll toe the rubber in Game 1 is up in the air. Bauer and Tomlin will be in the postseason rotation. If Clevinger were going to make a playoff start, it would seem sensible to have him take the hill on Sunday in Kansas City. Instead, he's returning to the bullpen. Much rides on Kluber's right quad. Until the Indians know precisely if and where they can slot him in, the club will face a bevy of unanswered questions. 4. Lopsided: The Tigers' 12-0 drubbing of the Indians' B squad on Tuesday trimmed Cleveland's run differential against Detroit this season to 103-65. The Indians have won 14 of the 17 meetings between the AL Central adversaries. 5. Tuning in: More than 156,000 homes had their TVs tuned to the Indians' division-clinching victory against Detroit on Monday night, according to information provided to cleveland.com by Fox Sports. The game's 10.5 household rating was the Indians' sixth-highest of the season. Fans wanted to watch the festivities, too. The postgame show earned a 6.5 household rating (more than 96,000 households). Overall, the Indians are averaging a 6.5 household rating, up 63 percent over this point last year. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 09.29.2016 Cleveland Indians' path to AL Central title took some unexpected twists and turns Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com DETROIT -- The Indians left spring training confident about their starting pitching, wondering about their bullpen and worried if they'd score enough runs to be a threat in the AL Central. Now the AL Central champions are approaching the postseason with a wounded rotation, a shutdown bullpen to quote rookie Mike Clevinger and an offense that has scored 758 runs, second-most in the AL and 89 more than they did all last year. While the Indians have watched starters Danny Salazar, Carlos Carrasco and Corey Kluber leave the mound with injuries this month, the bullpen and offense have operated effectively for most of the season. The concern in the bullpen was the wear and tear on set-up man and Cody Allen. Entering this season, Shaw and Allen ranked first and second, respectively, in games pitched in the big leagues from 2013-15. Turns out the industrial strength arms of Shaw and Allen have done just fine. While they've each had their hiccups this season – every reliever does – they have been good the majority of the time. Shaw leads AL with 74 appearances, giving him an MLB high of 298 over the last four years. Allen, in 64 appearances, has converted 29 of 32 saves. Dan Otero and Zach McAllister have done good work as well. When the Indians acquired left-hander from the Yankees just before the Aug. 1 deadline, they added the "shut' to shutdown bullpen. It has put manager Terry Francona on the cutting edge of bullpen usage. With Miller, Shaw and Allen, he can save games from the sixth through the ninth innings. The bullpen leads the AL with a 3.40 ERA, despite allowing seven runs Tuesday night in a 12-0 loss to the Tigers. Dan Otero comes up aces for Tribe On offense, Francona has spent all season saying that the Indians need production from all spots in the lineup in order to win. A case can be made that from top to bottom that's what exactly what he's getting. Carlos Santana and Rajai Davis have shared the leadoff spot. Santana has hit 19 of his career-high 34 homers while hitting leadoff. Davis has hit 11 of his career-high 12 homers and stolen 25 of his AL-leading 42 bases out of the top spot in the lineup. Second baseman Jason Kipnis is having a big season in the No.2 spot. He's set career highs with 23 homers and 90 runs, while nearing a career high with 81 RBI. Shortstop Francisco Lindor, in his first full season in the big leagues, is hitting .301 with 14 homers and 72 RBI in the No.3 spot. He leads the team's position players with a 5.4 WAR. The No.3 spot in the lineup used to belong to Michael Brantley, but he was limited to 11 games this year because of a right shoulder injury. It's tough to imagine the Indians finding a better replacement than Lindor. Tribe's Lindor weathers storm of a full season Cleanup hitter Mike Napoli has set career highs with 34 homers, 101 RBI and 191 strikeouts. In the No.5 spot, Jose Ramirez has made 75 starts and Santana 59. Ramirez, who has had a fine season overall, is hitting .326 (97-for-298) with six homers, 41 RBI and a .870 OPS in the No.5 spot. Santana, meanwhile, is hitting .259 (56-for-216) with 12 homers, 37 RBI and a .820 OPS at No.5. Right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall leads the Indians with 54 starts in the No.6 spot. Chisenhall, facing mostly right-handers, is hitting .300 (63-for- 210) with five homers, 37 RBI and a .786 OPS. Ramirez (.303, 11 doubles, four homers, 19 RBI, .811 OPS) has made 38 starts in the No.6 spot. Departed Juan Uribe led the Indians with 26 starts in the No.7 spot with Tyler Naquin making 22. Naquin, a strong AL Rookie of the Year candidate, is hitting .305 (25-for-82) with 16 runs, three homers, 11 RBI and a .875 OPS. While Naquin faces mostly right-handers, newcomers Brandon Guyer and Coco Crisp have given Francona platoon options for the bottom part of the order. Guyer, who has made 18 starts at seventh, is hitting .333 (27-for-81) since the Indians acquired him from the Rays on Aug. 1. Crisp is hitting .239 (11-for-46) since being acquired from Oakland on Aug. 31. Crisp's two-run homer on Monday gave the Indians an early lead in the clincher. Tribe acquires Coco Crisp from A's Francona likes to put ambush hitters in the sixth, seventh and eighth spots in the lineup. A , after expending a lot of energy to get through the heart of the lineup, sometimes is more likely to make a mistake to the bottom of the over. Enter Naquin once again. He's made 43 starts in the No.8 spot, hitting .299 (44-for-147) with 20 runs, eight homers, 24 RBI and a .955 OPS. Switch-hitter Abraham Almonte is another one of Francona's platoon options at the bottom of the order. He's made 29 starts while hitting eighth, batting .324 (34-for-105) with 18 runs, 15 doubles, one homer, 12 RBI and a .855 OPS. Of the 34 hits, 16 have gone for extra bases. Almonte will not be eligible for the postseason because of a PED suspension. Tribe's Almonte playing his postseason right now Catchers Roberto Perez and Chris Gimenez with 41 and 26 starts, respectively, have spent the most time in the No.9 spot. For the season Tribe catchers have the lowest batting average (.184) and OPS (.556) in the AL. Perez, in Monday's division clinching win over the Tigers, homered and singled home a run. Starting catcher Yan Gomes is still trying to rebound from a separated right shoulder and a broken right hand and it's doubtful he'll be eligible for the postseason. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 09.29.2016 Cleveland Indians could play in Detroit on Monday if Thursday's game is rained out Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com DETROIT – The Indians celebrated their AL Central championship Monday night after beating the Tigers at Comerica Park. Since then all they've done is worry. Putting together a starting rotation for the postseason has been their main concern. They have two healthy starters in Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin. Manager Terry Francona seems confident Corey Kluber will be able to join them, but right now he's recovering from a strained right quadriceps muscle. But a new problem has surfaced. An all-day rain is scheduled for the Detroit area Thursday, which could postpone the Tribe's series finale against the Tigers. They are scheduled to play at 1:10 p.m. "I know they're going to try and get Thursday's game in," said manager Terry Francona. "If we don't play, we have to come back here Monday, if need be. So I'm sure they're going to try and play it. I know the forecast isn't very good." The Tribe lost, 6-3, Wednesday night in a game called after five innings because of rain. While the Indians have clinched the Central, the Tigers are a game behind Baltimore for the second wild card spot. The Indians, meanwhile, are still in the running for home field advantage. Those are the reasons the game would have to be played Monday. If the Indians had to return to Detroit on Monday, it would make for an interesting scenario. The two AL wild card teams are scheduled to play Tuesday in their one game, winner-take-all showdown for the right to play the top seed in the ALDS. Should the Tigers still be in the running, they would need to beat the Indians to either win a wild card or force a tie. If they tied Baltimore, the Orioles would have home field advantage for any tiebreaker game. If a return trip to Detroit is necessary, the Indians wouldn't have far to travel. They're in Kansas City this weekend for what they thought were the last three games of the regular season. Still, it would be a headache. Instead of preparing for Game 1 of the American League Division Series while resting at home, they'd be emptying their bullpen one more time at Comerica Field just to finish the season. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 09.29.2016 Cleveland Indians lose rain-shortened game to Detroit Tigers, 6-3 Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com DETROIT -- In the wet and cold of Comerica Park, the Indians rolled out another bullpen game to try and get their injured rotation to the end of the regular season, so it can gather itself for the postseason. In that regard it was a success. Trevor Bauer, one of the two healthy starters left in the rotation, was originally scheduled to start Wednesday night. But he was pushed back to Saturday to put him in line for the best-of-five American League Division Series that begins on Oct. 6. Besides that, it was hard to find something good to say about the Indians' 6-3 loss to the Tigers in a game that was called after five innings because of rain. The Indians, with just four games left in the regular season, failed to gain in the race for home field advantage against division champs Boston and Texas. If the season ended today, Texas would play the wild card and Boston would have home-field advantage of the Indians in the first round. Cody Anderson's Jekyll and Hyde act in the third inning probably didn't help his chances of getting named to the postseason roster. As for Joe Colon (1-3), he just ran into some bad luck, along with a soaking wet field, in the fifth when Miguel Cabrera hit a three-run homer to break a 3-3 tie. After right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall lost Jose Iglesias' single in the lights to start the inning, the Indians couldn't turn a 6-4-3 on Ian Kinsler's grounder to short. Cameron Maybin followed with a single and Cabrera hit a three-run homer. It was his 36th homer of the season and his second three-run drive in the last two games against the Tribe. The Indians have done a great job against Cabrera and the middle of the Tigers' lineup this season, but Cabrera has feasted on their young arms the last two nights. Zach McAllister, in his second start of the season, threw two scoreless innings before the game was delayed by rain for the first time. He went into the locker room with a 1-0 lead thanks to Carlos Santana's two-out double in the first off Tiger rookie Michael Fulmer. "I thought Zach was good," said manager Terry Francona. "We weren't going to stay with him too much longer, but the rain made it easy." Anderson, after a 45-minute delay, started the third. In the span of seven pitches, he allowed two doubles and a homer as the Tigers took a 3-1 lead. James McCann and Iglesias hit consecutive doubles to start the inning. Kinsler followed with a two-run, first-pitch homer. What was Anderson's response? He retired Maybin, Cabrera and Victor Martinez in order. "When he misses, he misses in the wrong part of the plate," said Francona. "It really cost him. We've seen him when he's been dominant and we've seen the other side, too." The Indians rallied to tie the score, 3-3, in the fourth. Naquin hit a leadoff single, took second on a ground ball and scored on Rajai Davis' single to knock Fulmer out of the game. Left-hander Blaine Hardy (1-0) walked Jason Kipnis, but Santana followed with a single to center to tie the score. What it means The Indians are 14-4 against the Tigers this season and have won 19 of their last 25 games between the two teams. The Tigers' victory kept them one game behind Baltimore for the second wild card spot. "I think the umpires work in concert with the league," said Francona, when asked how he felt about the game being called. "You try to use common sense. You also know the Tigers are playing for a lot. "We talked before and during the rain delay. I think they did a good job of handling it. No one wants to stay until 3 in the morning knowing tomorrow (Thursday) might be a long one, too." The Indians and Tigers end their season series Thursday at 1:10 p.m. Rain is in the forecast. The pitches McAllister threw 30 pitches, 18 (60 percent) for strikes. Fulmer threw 77 pitches, 46 (60 percent) for strikes. Rookie of the year showdown Naquin and Fulmer are two of the favorites in the AL Rookie of the Year race. On Wednesday night, Naquin went 2-for-2 with a run and a against Fulmer. He also had an assist from center field, cutting down in the first inning. "If you go hard all the time, you have a chance to do something like that," said Francona. "It obviously was a great throw, but I think there was some stuff leading up to it -- he got to it real quick. That was a fun play to watch." Fulmer, after a 45-minute rain delay in the third, came out for the fourth with a 3-1 lead. But singles by Naquin and Rajai Davis knocked him out of the game and eventually cost him the lead. Thanks for coming The Indians and Tigers drew 26,934 to Comerica Park on a wet Wednesday night. First pitch was at 7:10 p.m. with a temperature of 60 degrees. The game was delayed by rain for 45 minutes after the top of the third. It was delayed a second time after the fifth inning. That delay lasted 1 hour and 12 minutes before the game was ended. What's next? The Indians and Tigers end their season series on Thursday afternoon with rookie lefty Ryan Merritt (0-0, 1.50) facing Tiger lefty Daniel Norris (3-2, 3.59) in the 1:10 p.m. game. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM 1100 and WMMS/FM 100.7 will carry the game. Merritt, because of Tribe's scrambled rotation, will be making his first big league start. Norris beat the Tribe on Sept. 18 at , allowing one run in five innings. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 09.29.2016 Terry Francona confident Corey Kluber will pitch in ALDS for Cleveland Indians Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com DETROIT – There is a mess with no clarity and a mess with clarity. The Indians starting rotation qualifies as the latter. Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar are injured with the start of the American League Division Series only nine days away. Clarity or no clarity, that's a mess. Wednesday afternoon manager Terry Francona offered transparency to the situation by naming his starters for the final five games as the regular season. Zach McAllister started Wednesday night followed by rookie left-hander Ryan Merritt on Thursday to end the season series against the Tigers. Francona said rookie right-hander Adam Plutko will start Friday against the Royals at followed by Trevor Bauer on Saturday and Josh Tomlin on Sunday. The arrangement indicates that the Indians plan on going with a three-man rotation in the ALDS if all goes well with Kluber's recovery from a strained right quadriceps muscle. Another indicator is that rookie Mike Clevinger, who started and lost Tuesday, has been moved to the bullpen. Pitching coach Mickey Callaway did say that Clevinger could be re-inserted in the rotation if another starter is needed. The immediate concern for the Indians is having Bauer and Tomlin positioned to start Games 1 and 2 of the ALDS on Oct. 6-7 if Kluber isn't ready. Francona seems confident that Kluber will be able to pitch in the ALDS. "He pitched four innings with this," said Francona. "We wanted to get him out of there because we didn't want to make it worse. It's not like he's in a wheelchair. He'll be fine." The Indians said Kluber will need seven to 10 days' recovery time before pitching in a game. Team doctors have said he does not have to be shutdown, which means he should be able to start playing catch right away. When asked if he felt Kluber could throw a bullpen session before pitching in the ALDS, Francona said, "Oh, yeah, sure, but not until he's ready to do it. That goes completely on how he's doings "I would think he'd be able to get a couple in for sure." Kluber left Monday's game against the Tigers after four innings with what was announced as an injury to his right groin. An MRI in Cleveland on Tuesday showed that the injury was a mild strain of the right quadriceps muscle. Salazar update: Salazar (right forearm) threw another bullpen session Wednesday as he tries to regain enough arm strength to be a candidate to pitch out of the bullpen in the postseason. Salazar has not pitched in a game since Sept. 9. Will Tribe's Salazar make postseason roster Whatever happened to? The Indians outrighted lefty TJ House to Class AAA Columbus after he was designated for assignment. House can be a minor-league free agent at the end of this season. House went 5-3 with a 3.35 ERA in 19 games, including 18 starts, for the Indians in 2014. He seemed poised for good things, but after winning a spot in the rotation in 2015, he came down with a sore left shoulder and never regained his footing with the big-league club. This year House opened the year at Class AAA Columbus, but did make four relief appearances for the Tribe. He opened the year as a starter with the Clippers before being moved to the bullpen. The Indians drafted House in 2008, but it would not be a surprise if he's pitching with another organization next year. Where's Nap? The rest of the regulars returned to the lineup Wednesday night after Francona gave them Tuesday off following Monday's clinching victory and celebration. The only one who didn't return to the lineup was Mike Napoli, who received his second straight day off. Tribe rests, Tigers roll Napoli leads the team in with 34 homers, 101 RBI and 191 strikeouts. The 191 strikeouts are the second-most in the AL. Baltimore's Chris Davis leads with 213. The Tribe's is expected to play the four remaining games. Finally: ESPN carrying Wednesday and Thursday's games between Tribe and Tigers. Former Tribe right-hander will work both games. ... The Indians are 42-36 since their franchise-record 14-game winning streak ended on July 2. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: 09.29.2016 A bittersweer feeling: Cleveland Indians outfielder Abraham Almonte's season is almost over Print Email Zack Meisel, cleveland.com By Zack Meisel, cleveland.com DETROIT -- Abraham Almonte's season ends on Sunday.

His playing time is dwindling as the sand starts to settle at the bottom of his season-long timer. The outfielder is ineligible for the postseason because of his 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs, which he served at the beginning of the 2016 campaign.

For Almonte, the Indians' celebration of a division title on Monday night was validation for his contributions over the last three months, and, at the same time, a bittersweet reminder that he won't be able to provide any more of them in October.

"It's hard, because you want to be there for your guys, you want to keep helping your team," Almonte said.

Instead, he'll have to accept a role as an observer as his team attempts to navigate the choppy October waters. So, for the Tribe's final few games, Almonte will serve a reduced role.

"The reality of it is Abe's not going to play," said Indians manager Terry Francona. "I wish he was. It's nice to have him being able to maybe pinch-hit, but with [four] games left, we need to play the guys that [we'll have]."

Almonte and Francona have both admitted that his return to the active roster in early July was a bit awkward at first. He served his lengthy ban and, because the team had a demand for outfield help, he returned to the big leagues immediately.

"I think I pushed a little bit too much, trying to do too much," Almonte said. "It took me a couple of days to calm down."

"Sometimes things happen that you don't expect. But I know one thing: I have a family and I have to keep my head up for my kids and my family. If I put my head down, who's going to take care of my family?"

Almonte's playing time has dipped in September, since the club acquired veteran Coco Crisp from Oakland. He totaled 93 plate appearances in August, but only 59 so far this month. He might as well empty his tank over the next four days.

"Every time I have the opportunity to play," he said, "I have to do everything I can to help my team. I have learned the past year that this is about winning, no matter how you do personally."

Almonte has batted .267 with a .702 OPS and 20 doubles in 65 games. He has only drawn eight free passes in 192 trips to the plate.

They aren't the gaudiest numbers by any means, but at times this season, the Indians' outfield has been more about healthy bodies than overwhelming output.

"I came back after three months and they received me with open arms," Almonte said. "That helped me a lot."

In the end, Almonte was able to celebrate a division title with his teammates. Now he hopes that next year he can lend a hand in the postseason.

"I hope to God this is not the only time that I will be in this situation, [playing on a team that is] going to the playoffs," Almonte said. "I think we have a good group and good potential. I hope I can stay around this group for a long time."

Miguel Cabrera's homer keeps Tigers a game back in wild-card race Anthony Fenech, Detroit Free Press 1:15 a.m. EDT September 29, 2016 Miguel Cabrera again rose to the occasion. This time it was Wednesday night in the pouring rain. With two runners on base in a 3-3 tie in the fifth inning, Cabrera homered to rightfield to give the Detroit Tigers a 6-3 lead over the Cleveland Indians. Play was suspended after the inning and called over an hour later at 11:10 p.m. as an official game, giving the Tigers a crucial 6-3, five-inning win. “Tried to make something happen,” Cabrera said. “Don’t have to worry about the rain because you can’t control the weather. Go out there and do your job.” The Baltimore Orioles rallied in the ninth inning to beat the Toronto Blue Jays, keeping the Tigers one game back of the O’s for the second wild- card spot. At 8:11 p.m. on Wednesday night, the much-anticipated rains came. At that moment, it seemed unlikely Tigers right-hander Michael Fulmer would pitch the necessary 6 1/3 innings against the Indians to qualify for the American League ERA title. But Fulmer had a bigger task at hand on this night: Getting a win. With the days dwindling off the schedule, and with the Orioles losing once again to the Blue Jays at the moment, the Tigers were afforded a grand opportunity to pull even for the second AL wild-card spot. They had Fulmer on the mound. Nick Castellanos back in the lineup. And for the second consecutive night, they were facing an Indians team starting a mediocre pitcher with a bullpen game in mind. At 8:55 p.m., play resumed. At 8:58, after James McCann and Jose Iglesias doubled, the Tigers tied the game. At 8:59, they took the lead on an Ian Kinsler two-run home run. Fulmer’s chance at history – he would be the first rookie to win the ERA title since in 1976 – took a bigger hit when he came back out to the mound after 55 minutes and coughed up the lead, allowing two singles. Blaine Hardy relieved him after a rain-interrupted 77 pitches. Carlos Santana’s single tied the game in the fourth inning. #Tigers LIVE Postgame 9.28.16: Miguel Cabrera pic.twitter.com/aOkBV38ukl — FOX Sports Detroit (@FOXSportsDet) September 29, 2016 But in the bottom of the fifth inning, just as Mother Nature started dumping more rain, Cabrera once again rose to the occasion. With two men on, Cabrera sent pitch to the opposite field to break the 3-3 tie. But the Tigers were unable to match the Orioles when, shortly after Cabrera’s home run, Hyun-soo Kim hit a two-run home run off Toronto Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna in the top of the ninth inning in Toronto. The Orioles won, 3-2. With the win, they pulled within a game of the Blue Jays for the top wild-card spot in the league. Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said he wasn’t watching the game but heard the groan in the clubhouse as Kim’s fly ball left the field. Fulmer fell into a tie with Toronto righty Aaron Sanchez with a 3.06 ERA. He is still three innings shy of qualifying for the title, throwing 3 1/3 innings. He allowed three runs on six hits, walking three and striking out three. “I just think he was a little off with his command compared to some of his outings this year,” Ausmus said. Ausmus said he was “a little bit reticent” sending Fulmer back out after the delay. The right-hander started warming up about 45 minutes after play was suspended. Asked why he did, Ausmus said: “I wanted to. Simple as that.” #Tigers LIVE Postgame 9.28.16: Brad Ausmus pic.twitter.com/gdrtwPa7na — FOX Sports Detroit (@FOXSportsDet) September 29, 2016 Cabrera’s home run came at the most opportune of times, as half of his home runs have this season. Of his 36 home runs, 18 have tied the game or given the Tigers the lead. 15 of those have gone out to the opposite field, leading the major leagues. “To put us up by three, it was a big swing of the bat at a big time of the game with the rain,” Kinsler said. “So it was nice to get that lead right there.” On the home run, Cabrera’s 306th as a Tiger, he tied Hank Greenberg for third-most in franchise history. His was the biggest hit, but equally as big was the way the Tigers came out of the chute following the first delay with three straight hits. “We came back swinging the bat well and put runs on the board really quick,” Kinsler said. Then Cabrera put them ahead, knee barking and all, with another bash. “We’re in the situation, we gotta win games,” Cabrera said. “I mean, you gotta go out there and win. That’s it.” Detroit Free Press LOADED: 09.29.2016 Seidel: Cabrera's 306th homer gives Tigers critical rain-soaked win Jeff Seidel, Detroit Free Press Columnist 1:15 a.m. EDT September 29, 2016 Number 306 was a thing of beauty, a classic, historic Miguel Cabrera home run, an opposite field missile that cut through the rain and landed over the rightfield fence in Comerica Park on Wednesday night. It was beyond clutch, or as clutch as you can get in the fifth inning of a rain-soaked game. It gave the Detroit Tigers a 6-3 lead in what would turn into a rain-shortened victory over the Cleveland Indians and it kept the Tigers alive in the hunt for a wild-card spot. “We’re in the situation, we gotta win games,” Cabrera said, after the Tigers ended the night in the same place where they had started it, one game behind the Baltimore Orioles for the second wild-card spot. “I mean, you gotta go out there and win. That’s it.” Now, let me set the scene. Joseph Colon was on the mound for the Indians in the bottom of the fifth inning. Actually, he was behind the mound, trying to clean dirt from his cleats. The game had already been delayed once by rain for 45 minutes and they were in a race against Mother Nature. The radar looked horrible and they needed to get this game in. Cabrera stepped into the batter’s box and wiped the rain from his face with his jersey. First his left side. Then his right. The game was tied and there were two Tigers on base. Colon put a 94-mile per hour fastball down the middle of the plate – big mistake – and Cabrera smashed it into the opposite field stands. His approach? “Be aggressive,” Cabrera said. “Try to make good contact. Try to make something happen.” Try to make something happen? He made history happen. It was his 306th home run as a Tiger, tying Hank Greenberg for the third most in Tigers history. Cabrera trails only (399) and (373). #Tigers LIVE Postgame 9.28.16: Miguel Cabrera pic.twitter.com/aOkBV38ukl — FOX Sports Detroit (@FOXSportsDet) September 29, 2016 They might as well put up his statue right now on the concourse. When asked what No.306 means to him, Cabrera said: “Great. But I still gotta go out there and play (today), so right now, I have to go get some rest and be ready to play.” As he circled the bases, the rain soaked fans in Comerica were cheering for this marvel. Cabrera did his celebratory handshakes, including one with the bat boy. Classic Miggy. You gotta love how he loves the game. “Tried to make something happen,” Cabrera said. “Don’t have to worry about the rain because you can’t control the weather. … Go out there and do your job.” Let’s pause here to appreciate what this man has done in Detroit – 306 home runs. A Triple Crown. Two Most Valuable Player Awards. And now, at the most important time of the season, when every game is vital, Cabrera has put together a seven-game hitting streak. His home run was the 444th of his career, trying him with Adrian Beltre for 40th in Major League Baseball history. “He’s swinging the bat really well right now, at the right time,” second baseman Ian Kinsler said. “He’s the guy who is going to come up with big hits when you need them. Everyone wants to see him at the plate in those situations and it seems like he comes through most of the time.” After the inning ended, ground crews put the tarp on the field. The rain was unrelenting. There were puddles around the edge of the field. At that moment, it looked like the Tigers were going to pull into a tie with Baltimore for the final wild-card spot. Then, all kinds of crazy broke out, as the Orioles came from behind in the ninth inning to beat Toronto. It was a fascinating, dramatic night of baseball. “We have a lot of confidence,” Cabrera said. “We gotta do it. We gotta win.”’ Now, with fourth games left, the Tigers still have a shot. You have to like the fact the Tigers got back Nick Castellanos, who had missed 46 games with a broken hand. He made a fine play at third base, backing up on a grounder and making a strong throw to first to end a Cleveland rally in the top of the fourth. The Tigers will play Cleveland for the final time in this regular season today – thank goodness, enough of these Indians, although the weather report does not look promising. And then, the Tigers will finish with a weekend series at Atlanta. My gut says this will come down to Sunday afternoon, with Justin Verlander on the mound. And if it plays out like that, I sure like those odds. Detroit Free Press LOADED: 09.29.2016 Rain might create some interesting scenarios for Detroit Tigers Anthony Fenech, Detroit Free Press 8:57 p.m. EDT September 28, 2016 The Detroit Tigers are finishing the regular season on the road. How long they’ll be gone, or if they will be starting a postseason run, has yet to be determined. But with rain before Wednesday night’s game and more in the forecast Thursday — an 80% chance, according to the Weather Channel — some not-so-convenient possibilities have been presented. “There’s not a lot of contingencies,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. “If it gets canceled, it’s pretty much in Major League Baseball’s hands because it’s the last series of the season.” If one of the final two games of the series against the Cleveland Indians was postponed because of rain, the teams could have to play the final game at Comerica Park on Monday, should it be pertinent to the American League postseason race. The Tigers would be coming from Atlanta. The Indians, who clinched the Central Division on Monday, would be coming from Kansas City. Both teams certainly could do without the extra travel, especially the Indians, who are setting up their rotation for the AL Division Series. “Oh, boy,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “I’ve never thought about it. That would be interesting. I’m guessing that we’re going to stay here until we play. I don’t think the league would be really happy. I’m guessing we’re going to stay here long until it runs into that next game on Friday.” Entering Wednesday, the Tigers trailed the O’s by a game for the second wild card. But, given the situation, MLB will try in earnest to get both games in. Ausmus said MLB also will try to avoid a postponement so they don’t force a out of the game early. Contact Anthony Fenech: [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @anthonyfenech. Download our Tigers Xtra app for free on Apple and Android devices! Thursday: Indians Matchup: Cleveland at Tigers, 1:10 p.m. TV/radio: Fox Sports Detroit, WXYT-FM (97.1). Pitchers: Tigers — LH Daniel Norris (3-2, 3.59 ERA), Indians — LH Ryan Merritt (0-0, 1.50). Detroit Free Press LOADED: 09.29.2016