Detroit @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 6, 2015 ) Cleveland 4, Detroit 0

Alfredo Simon looks to continue his mastery of the Cleveland Indians this season when the visiting Detroit Tigers open a four-game series against their American League Central rivals on Thursday. Simon has won all four of his starts versus the Indians in 2015, posting a 1.50 ERA while allowing four runs on 18 hits in 24 innings.

While Detroit's postseason aspirations are faint at best, Cleveland has won three of four to remain within shouting distance of Texas for the second wild card. Francisco Lindor homered among his three hits in the Indians' 6-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday and is 7-for-24 with five RBIs in seven meetings with the Tigers this season. Cleveland capped a 5-4 road trip and returns to Progressive Field where it has won five in a row and 10 of its past 12 home games after losing 32 of its first 51. Detroit's Ian Kinsler went 0-for-3 in Wednesday's 8-0 loss to Tampa Bay to remain one hit shy of 1,500 for his career, but is 6-for-19 lifetime versus Thursday starter Danny Salazar.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, STO (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Alfredo Simon (12-9, 4.86 ERA) vs. Indians RH Danny Salazar (12-8, 3.54)

Simon rebounded from two disastrous outings with a stellar one on Saturday, scattering two hits over seven innings in a 6-0 rout of Cleveland. Prior to the scintillating performance, the 34-year-old Dominican had allowed 14 runs on 15 hits - including five homers - in a pair of losses. Those efforts, inexplicably, came on the heels of Simon tossing a one-hit, complete-game gem against Texas on Aug. 20.

While Simon flourished in his last outing, Salazar was blitzed for six runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings to suffer the setback against Detroit on Saturday. The 25-year-old Dominican owns a 1-3 mark with a 6.55 ERA versus the Tigers this season, as his 11-strikeout performance in a win on April 24 was followed by a pair of losses in June before Saturday's shellacking. Salazar, who has surrendered five homers to Detroit this season, has been taken deep twice in two of his last three trips to the mound.

WALK-OFFS

1. Detroit 1B Victor Martinez, who has nine RBIs versus Cleveland this season, is expected to return to the lineup after missing three games with a sinus infection.

2. Indians 2B Jason Kipnis had an RBI double on Wednesday, but is just 3-for-23 in his last six contests.

3. Tigers CF Anthony Gose has recorded multi-hit performances in each of his last two games and four of his last eight contests.

PREDICTION: Indians 5, Tigers 3