LEVELAND INDIANS 2014 OFFICIAL GAME INFORMATION CLEVELAND INDIANS (7-7) at DETROIT TIGERS (6-5) RHP Danny Salazar (0-1, 6.75) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (1-1, 2.57) Game #15/Road #9 » Thurs., April 17, 2014 » Comerica Park » 1:08 p.m. (ET) » SportsTime Ohio, WTAM/WMMS/IRN OPENING ACT IN MOTOWN DYNAMIC DUO indians at a glance » After inclement weather postponed Tuesday’s tilt, Cleveland » After forgettable season debuts for both right-handers, COREY hung on for a narrow 3-2 victory over Detroit in Wednesday night’s KLUBER & ZACH McALLISTER have each posted solid numbers vs. AL: Central West East 5-6 3-5 2-1 0-0 default series opener...closer JOHN AXFORD notched his 5th in their 2nd and 3rd turns through the Indians starting rotation... vs. NL: Central West East save, surviving a one-out 2B/E-8 by ALEX AVILA in the 9th that over their last 4 combined starts (2 each), Kluber & McAllister 2-1 0-0 2-1 0-0 put the tying run on third base...Tribe’s offense came early by way have combined to go 3-0 with a 2.00 ERA (6 R-ER/27.0 IP) and In Series: Home Road Total of a run-scoring double play in the first and a 2-run triple fromYAN 25 strikeouts against just 2 walks. Overall 1-1-0 1-1-0 2-2-0 GOMES in the 2nd to back the efforts of ZACH McALLISTER (6.0 » The Indians are 4-2 this season when getting at least 6.0 innings Openers 2-0 2-1 4-1 IP, 4 H, 1 R-ER, 2 BB, 4 SO). out of their starting pitching, while the rotation is 3-1 w/ a 1.58 ERA Finales 0-2 1-1 1-3 Rubber 0-1 1-0 1-1 » Bottom 4 spots in Indians order combined to go 5-for-14, while (7 ER/40.0 IP) and 37 strikeouts against just 5 walks in those 6 Lead after: Home Road Total top 5 spots were a combined 0-for-17. games...the 4 aforementioned performances by Kluber & McAllis- 6 inn. 3-0 1-0 4-0 ter account for 4 of those 6 outings. 7 inn. 3-0 2-0 5-0 RARE WIN » Rotation’s 4.90 ERA (41 ER/75.1 IP) is still 2nd-highest in A.L. 8 inn. 3-0 2-0 5-0 » Wednesday’s affair marked the first time for Cleveland to beat ahead of only Minnesota (5.52 ERA), as Tribe starters are averag- Trail after: Home Road Total Detroit with fewer than 4 runs on fewer than 6 hits since a 2-0 ing just over 5.1 innings-per-start overall through 14 games. 6 inn. 0-3 1-3 1-6 7 inn. 0-3 1-3 1-6 shutout back on Sept. 5, 2005 here at Comerica Park, as prior to 8 inn. 0-3 1-4 1-7 last night the Indians had lost 30 consecutive games to the YOU STRIKE MY MAIN NERVE Tied after: Home Road Total Tigers in which they were held to less than 4 runs and less » Cleveland’s staff has averaged 9.86 SO/9.0 IP (134SO/122.1 IP) 6 inn. 0-0 2-1 2-1 than 6 hits. through 14 games this season, 2nd-most in the Majors behind only 7 inn. 0-0 1-1 1-1 » Ignoring base hits, Cleveland had lost 11 consecutive games to Washington (10.44 SO/9.0 IP)...the Indians’ 134 strikeouts overall 8 inn. 0-0 1-0 1-0 Detroit when being held to fewer than 4 runs. are 2nd-most in the A.L. behind Los Angeles (144) and rank 5th in Decided... Home Road Total 7th-or-later 0-0 3-1 3-1 the Majors (Nationals lead with 155). Final AB 0-0 2-1 2-1 WINS & LOSSES » With 14 strikeouts in 9.1 innings, DANNY SALAZAR has aver- Extra-Innings 0-0 0-0 0-0 » Cleveland is 2-3 on this weather-shortened 8-day, 6-game road aged 13.50 SO/9.0 IP over 2 starts this season (not enough IP to One-run G’s 0-1 1-1 1-2 trip through Chicago-AL (1-3) & Detroit (1-0)...club is coming off a qualify to league leader status)...Salazar has avg’d 11.59 SO/9.0IP Walk-offs 0 1 0-1 6-day, 6-game homestand that saw the Tribe go 3-3 vs. Minnesota in his 12 career starts overall (79 SO/61.1 IP). vs. RH starter 2-2 4-0 6-2 (1-2) and San Diego (2-1)...club began the year with a brief 3-game vs. LH starter 1-1 0-4 1-5 road trip during which Tribe took 2 of 3 from Oakland, improving to LOVE HAVING YOU AROUND tribe by the numbers 27-9 against the A.L. West since start of 2013 campaign. » Cleveland has won consecutive games vs. Detroit (dating back » Tribe is an even 4-4 on the road and 3-3 at Progressive Field... to last season) for the first time since May 11 & 12 of last season... Overall Record ................................. 7-7 team has gone 4-2 in night games, but 3-5 during the day. Tribe dropped 14 of 15 decisions to the Tigers in between. Standing in AL Central ......... 3rd, -0.5 G » Cleveland went 4-15 against Detroit in 2013, going 3-6 here at Days in 1st (2-3-4-5) .............2 (9-4-2-0) Largest 1st-place Lead....................Tied A.L. CENTRAL STANDINGS Comerica Park and 1-9 at Progressive Field...the 15 losses were Largest 1st-place Deficit...............-1.5 G » Cleveland holds 3rd place in the A.L. Central standings, trailing club’s most vs. Detroit since 1960 (7-15) and T3rd-most in fran- Most Games Above .500 .......+2.0 G, 2x Chicago (8-7) & Detroit (6-5) - both tied for first - by just one half- chise history behind 1946 (5-17) & 1934 (6-16)...the Indians held Most Games Below .500 ........-1.0 G, 2x game...Tribe also has just a half-game lead on Kansas City & Min- a lead at some point in 9 of the 15 defeats and had two separate Times at .500 ..........4x, last 7-7 on 4/16 nesota, who are T4th (6-7), as the entire division is separated by 7-game losing streaks (7 games decided by two runs-or-less). Current Streak .................................. W1 just 1.0 game - easily the smallest margin in any of baseball’s » The Indians won the first 3-game series (2-1) at Comerica Park Current Trip ...................................... 2-3 Following a Win ................................ 2-4 6 divisions...Tribe has spent 2 days in 1st place, 9 days in 2nd last season, but lost 5 of the final 6 meetings in Detroit…club’s last Following a Loss .............................. 4-3 place, 4 days in 3rd place & 2 days in 4th place. winning season here in Motown came back in 2008 (5-4), as the Last 5 games.................................... 2-3 » The Indians are 3-5 against A.L. Central opponents (went 44-32 Tribe is 12-34 at this ballpark since then (2009-present). Last 10 games.................................. 4-6 in 2013) and 4-2 outside the division. Last 15 games.................................. 7-7 SIR DUKE Last 20 games.................................. 7-7 SERIES STUFF » Cleveland is just one game under .500 (17-18) in 35 games Longest ‘W’ Streak .........................2, 2x Longest ‘L’ Streak .................................3 » After dropping 3 of 4 to the White Sox in Chicago over the week- started by 2011 Cy Young winner JUSTIN VERLANDER all-time... Come-from-Behind Wins ......................3 end, the Indians are now 2-2-0 in 4 series played so far this season Tribe was 11-4 in Verlander starts from 2005-08 before going just Losses After Holding Lead ...................2 (1-1-0 at home, 1-1-0 on the road). 2-10 against the right-hander from 2009-11...Indians & Tigers are Team Saves .................. 5-for-6 (83.3%) » Cleveland improved to 4-1 in series openers with last night’s win an even 4-4 in Verlander starts since the start of 2012. Record Before All-Star Break ........... 7-7 (went 0-6 in series openers vs. Detroit last year), as the club enters » The Indians have gone 6-2 vs. right-handed starters this Record After All-Star Break .............. 0-0 today’s finale with a chance to earn first series win over the Tigers season, but just 1-5 vs. lefties. Home Record ................................... 3-3 Road Record .................................... 4-4 since first meeting of 2013 (took 2 of 3 at Comerica Park, May 10- Day Games ...................................... 3-5 12)...Tribe was 30-23 in series finales last season. ARROWHEADS Night Games .................................... 4-2 » Cleveland sits at the .500 mark (7-7) thru 14 games; the club was vs. RH starters ................................. 6-2 ONE-RUN WARRIORS 4 games below .500 thru 14 games in 2013 at 5-9. vs. LH starters .................................. 1-5 » While last night signaled the Indians’ first one-run victory of the » The Indians have played 14 games without going to extra innings vs. Opp. At-or-Above .500 ................ 4-3 season (1-2), it continued a trend for Cleveland in recent seasons, this season, one of 6 teams yet to participate in bonus baseball... vs. Opp. Below .500 ........................