Indians put Kluber on 10-day DL with back issue

Similar to how Cleveland had Detroit’s numbers in 2016, the Tigers seem to have the Indians’ number this year.

The Tigers have figured out how to beat the Indians after failing miserably against them past year.

“Their pitchers did a great job of holding down our offense last season”, Cabrera said.

“But in fairness to Klube, I don’t know if we need to expect that”, Francona said Wednesday. “Still feel like it was a good decent pitch, 3-2”.

The 34.1 innings of work in the postseason may or may not be the cause for Kluber’s back problem. Cleveland has played 27 games – exactly one sixth of the regular season – and Miller has pitched 13 2/3 innings.

“It has been bothering me off and on for a few starts now, but this was the first time I couldn’t pitch through it”, Kluber told reporters after the game. The Indians give the ball to Danny Salazar for the final game of the series against the Tigers. Fulmer has been the Tigers’ best pitcher through five starts, striking out 26 batters in 31 innings and allowing just 22 hits.

The Tigers hurt Trevor Bauer (2-3, 7.67) early as Nick Castellanos and Victor Martinez hit ringing doubles in the first inning for a 2-0 lead.

“It’s not just me, it’s everyone in here”, he said. Kluber had gone at least six innings in each of his first five starts. The 33-year-old is 24-6 since Texas got him from Philadelphia at the trade deadline in 2015, and was the MVP of the 2008 World Series for the Phillies. Francona said that Kluber had an MRI on his back a while ago, but none of them revealed any problems that would have had him go on the DL. Jason Kipnis hit the very next pitch to Collins, and that gave the Indians a 3-0 advantage.

“I felt really good out there, but I wish I could have the pitch to Ramirez back”, Boyd said. “(Wednesday will be) same mentality as today: “Be ready to play and try to go nine innings”. The catcher and first baseman was in the midst of strong start to 2017 with the Tigers, hitting.423 with a 1.098 OPS in seven games for Detroit.

With a full day of rain and cold temperatures expected on Thurday, the Tigers postponed their scheduled game against the Cleveland Indians at 9:25 a.m., nearly four hours before the scheduled first pitch.

Cabrera left the game in the eighth when his right groin tightened up on him. That’s a stark contrast to last season, when the Indians went 14-4 in the season series.