Detroit @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 17, 2019 ) Detroit 2, Cleveland 7

The Cleveland Indians look to continue their dominance in the season series and make up ground in the American League wild card race when they host the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday in the second contest of a three-game set. The Indians earned a 7-2 victory in Tuesday’s series opener to extend their winning streak to 15 against the major league-worst Tigers - the longest run against an opponent since winning 17 straight versus Baltimore in 1954.

Rookie Oscar Mercado homered in Tuesday’s victory to increase his hitting streak to eight games (14-for-35) for Cleveland, while teammate Jordan Luplow had a double and a triple to improve to 6-for-12 with seven RBIs in his last five games. The Indians, who are one-half game behind Tampa Bay for the AL’s second wild card, will send rookie Aaron Civale to the mound and Detroit’s Spencer Turnbull will try to avoid his sixth loss in six outings against Cleveland this season. The Tigers (45-105) are 1-16 versus the Indians in 2019 and 7-36 in the series against their AL Central rivals since Sept. 1, 2017 after managing four hits in Tuesday’s setback - their fifth in their seven contests. Dawel Lugo belted a solo homer in the series opener to extend his hitting streak to four games for Detroit and teammate Grayson Grenier is 10-for-20 while hitting safely in five straight contests after a recording a single and a double Tuesday.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Spencer Turnbull (3-15, 4.77 ERA) vs. Indians RH Aaron Civale (3-3, 1.93)

Turnbull continues to seek his first victory since May 31 when he was 3-4 with a 2.84 ERA after beating Atlanta with six innings of two-run ball. The 26-year-old University of Alabama product struggled mightily in three starts this month, adding a pair of losses and giving up 14 runs on 19 hits over 11 1/3 innings combined. Mercado is 5-for-11 with a double and six RBIs versus Turnbull, who owns a 6.45 ERA in his five starts against Cleveland in 2019.

Civale extended his string of games with two or fewer earned runs allowed to eight to start his career after limiting Minnesota to one run over five innings in a no-decision Sept. 7. The 24-year-old Connecticut native gave up two runs over two innings before Friday’s game with the Twins was postponed because of inclement weather. Lugo homered on Aug. 28 against Civale, who beat Detroit with six scoreless innings June 22 in his major league debut.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cleveland 2B Jason Kipnis (17 homers, 65 RBIs) is expected to miss the rest of the season with a broken right hand.

2. Detroit CF-2B Harold Castro was hitless in four at-bats Tuesday, but is 22-for-56 in September.

3. The Indians recalled INF Andrew Velasquez from Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday and he went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts.

PREDICTION: Indians 5, Tigers 3