Detroit @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 16, 2016 ) Detroit 4, Cleveland 11

Justin Verlander has lost all three starts this season against the American League Central's best team, a pattern he will try to reverse when the Detroit Tigers visit the Cleveland Indians on Saturday afternoon. Cleveland continued its domination of the Tigers with an 11-4 rout in the series opener to take a seven-game lead atop the division.

Verlander has more losses (21) -- by far -- to the Indians than any other team and has an unsightly 9.18 ERA in three starts against them this year. Then again, it hasn't mattered much who Detroit puts on the mound against Cleveland, which is 12-1 against the Tigers this season after the latest mauling. Mike Napoli hit his 34th homer and had four RBIs for the Indians, who have amassed 90 runs in the 13 meetings between the teams. Left fielder Justin Upton snapped out of a 1-for-16 funk over his previous six games by clubbing a pair of homers and driving in four runs for Detroit, which dropped three games back of the top wild-card.

TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Justin Verlander (14-8, 3.33 ERA) vs. Indians RH Carlos Carrasco (11-8, 3.32)

Verlander is coming off his shortest outing since he was hammered by the Indians for eight runs on nine hits, including four home runs, over 4 2/3 innings on June 26. He had a four-start unbeaten streak snapped Sunday by yielding three runs on seven hits over five innings to Baltimore following a pair of seven-inning stints in which he allowed two runs in each. Francisco Lindor is 7-for-15 and Coco Crisp is 10-for-29 against Verlander.

Carrasco lasted only 3 2/3 innings at the Chicago White Sox on Monday, giving up five runs (four earned) and eight hits. The 29-year-old Venezuelan is 3-0 in his last four starts at Progressive Field, including a pair of 11-strikeout performances against Miami and the White Sox. While Carraso has been a .500 pitcher lifetime against the Tigers, he is 2-0 with a sparking 0.51 ERA against them this season, permitting one run over 17 2/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Indians C Yan Gomes is expected to miss the rest of the season after breaking a bone in his wrist Wednesday in his final rehab game.

2. Detroit's starting rotation is 0-9 since Verlander beat the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 26.

3. Indians RF Lonnie Chisenhall is day-to-day with a lower abdominal issue.

PREDICTION: Indians 5, Tigers 4