Detroit @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 17, 2014 ) Cleveland 5, Detroit 7

The Cleveland Indians are in the middle of a brutal stretch of the schedule and are not handling it very well. The Indians will try to snap a four-game slide when they host the Detroit Tigers in the opener of a three-game series on Monday. Cleveland fell to Toronto to begin its slide and was promptly swept by the Oakland Athletics, who own the second-best record in the American League, by a combined score of 30-6.

The Tigers are the top team in the majors at 27-12 and are coming off a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox over the weekend that extended their winning streak to six straight. The Indians did not have much success from the rotation against Oakland and are hoping for a little more length out of the starters against Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez and company in the Detroit lineup. Cabrera went 7-for-12 with four RBIs in the series against Boston while the Tigers pitching staff surrendered a total of three runs.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, ESPN, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland), FSN Detroit

PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers LH Drew Smyly (2-2, 2.70 ERA) vs. Indians RH Corey Kluber (4-3, 3.38)

Smyly is settling in nicely to the Detroit rotation and is coming off a start at Baltimore in which he allowed one run on five hits in six innings. The 24-year-old has allowed three or fewer earned runs in each of his last four outings. Smyly has made 11 career appearances against Cleveland - one start - and owns a 1-1 record with a 5.09 ERA in 17 2/3 total innings.

Kluber has been dominant over his last three starts, allowing a total of five runs in 21 2/3 innings while striking out 31. The Alabama native has fanned at least nine batters in four of his last five starts and owns 66 strikeouts in 58 2/3 total innings. Kluber is just 1-3 with a 5.50 ERA in seven career appearances - six starts - and struggles to retire Cabrera (8-of-17 with three home runs and seven RBIs).

WALK-OFFS

1. Martinez has more home runs (10) than strikeouts (nine) this season.

2. Cleveland shifted 1B Nick Swisher (.196 batting average) and C Carlos Santana (.152) from the top half of the lineup to the bottom on Sunday and the two combined to go 0-for-9 in their new spots.

3. Cabrera has driven in 14 runs in the last eight games and has boosted his batting average from .281 to .316 over that span.

PREDICTION: Tigers 8, Indians 3