Cleveland @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 8, 2013 ) Cleveland 4, Detroit 6

Wins have been hard to come by recently for the Cleveland Indians, and they're never easy to claim for opposing teams at Comerica Park. The Detroit Tigers will try to continue their dominance at home and finish a three-game sweep of the Indians on Sunday. Detroit has won the first two games of the series to improve to 21-10 at home and open a 4 1/2-game lead over Cleveland in the American League Central.

Cleveland has dropped six straight to fall a game below .500, while the Tigers have won three straight and five of seven. The Indians will turn to right-hander Justin Masterson to try to stop the skid after bumping him from his scheduled start Saturday. It's the Tigers who had to scratch their starter Sunday, as right-hander Anibal Sanchez will miss his turn in the rotation because of a stiff shoulder, prompting Detroit to purchase the contract of left-hander Jose Alvarez.

TV: 1:08 p.m. ET, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland), Fox Sports Detroit

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Justin Masterson (8-4, 3.57 ERA) vs. Tigers LH Jose Alvarez (NR)

Masterson has been hit hard in two of his last three outings, including a meeting with the New York Yankees his last time out in which he was tagged for seven runs in 6 1/3 innings. Masterson is 2-6 with a 5.09 ERA in 14 career games (11 starts) against Detroit. He split four outings against the Tigers last season but has yet to face them this year.

Alvarez is set for his major-league debut after putting up strong numbers at Triple-A Toledo, where he racked up 76 strikeouts in 74 1/3 innings and compiled a 2.42 ERA. The 24-year-old Venezuelan is in his seventh year in the minors and his first in the Tigers organization.

WALK-OFFS

1. Since 1916, only 31 Detroit players have reached 50 RBIs in the team's first 60 games, but 3B Miguel Cabrera (67) and 1B Prince Fielder (51) both have done so this season.

2. Indians 1B Nick Swisher is hitless in his last 24 at-bats with seven strikeouts over that span.

3. The Tigers have had a pitcher record seven or more strikeouts 35 times this season, by far the most in the majors.

PREDICTION: Indians 7, Tigers 5