Detroit @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 18, 2019 ) Detroit 1, Cleveland 2

The Cleveland Indians try for their 17th straight victory over Detroit when they host the Tigers on Thursday in the finale of their 19-game season series. Cleveland and Detroit split their first two meetings of 2019 but it's been one-sided since with Yasiel Puig's walk-off single off the right field wall with the bases loaded and two out in the 10th inning giving the Indians a 2-1 victory Wednesday.

Cleveland, which has won three straight and seven of its last nine, is one-half game behind Tampa Bay for the final American League wild card spot and 2 1/2 back of first-place Oakland. Puig has seven hits in his last two games after matching a career high with four Wednesday, raising his average to .295 in 41 contests since joining the Indians. Detroit (45-106), which had won five of 11 entering the three-game series against the Indians, has already clinched the second-worst record in club history, ahead of only the 2003 club that went 43-119. Cleveland's Mike Clevinger comes off his first loss since June 28 as he takes the ball Thursday opposite Daniel Norris, who has started and pitched three innings in each of his last seven outings.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FOX

PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers LH Daniel Norris (3-12, 4.62 ERA) vs. Indians RH Mike Clevinger (11-3, 2.68)

Norris remains on an innings limit because of his history with injuries. The 26-year-old Tennessee native was asked recently if he is approaching these games as a reliever, telling reporters: “You’d think so. But in my head, I’m going in like maybe he will surprise me and let me go five. It’s wishful thinking, I know. I try to avoid Andy (pitching coach Rick Anderson) after the third inning now.” Cleveland's Francisco Lindor is 7-for-20 with a home run, four RBIs and five strikeouts against Norris, who is 3-3 with a 4.74 ERA in 11 starts against the Indians with two of his three turns this season (0-2, 6.89) totaling 12 2/3 innings before the restriction was put into place.

Clevinger allowed a two-run homer among six hits with 10 strikeouts in eight innings of a 2-0 loss to Minnesota on Saturday. The 28-year-old Floridian was 10-0 with a 2.00 ERA over his previous 13 starts. Detroit's Miguel Cabrera is 3-for-18 with a home run and two doubles against Clevinger, who is 7-2 with a 1.82 ERA in 11 games (10 starts) versus the Tigers - 2-0, 0.64 in two outings this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cleveland CF Oscar Mercado went 0-for-5 on Wednesday, ending an eight-game hitting streak during which he was 14-for-35.

2. Cabrera (.281) is 0-for-16 with four walks in his last five games.

3. The Indians are on their longest run against an opponent since winning a franchise-record 17 straight versus Baltimore in 1954 while Detroit matched its longest losing streak first set against Minnesota from 2002-03.

PREDICTION: Indians 3, Tigers 2