Gästearea / Bannertausch » Mahle’s third career

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Indians are averaging a major league-best 5.9 runs per game at home Authentic Louis Domingue Jersey , and that’s where they will be on Saturday, when they host the Detroit Tigers in the second game of their three-game series.

The Indians have won five games in a row and outscored their opponents 38-6 during the streak.

Cleveland’s offense is led by third baseman Jose Ramirez, who finished third in the MVP voting last season, and is having another monster year. Ramirez is in the top six in the American League in many of the key offensive categories.

Ramirez is third in home runs (22), fifth in on-base percentage (.398), fourth in slugging percentage (.609), sixth in RBIs (50), and fourth in walks (49).

“He wasn’t swinging the bat well in spring training, but once the season started — wow,” said Indians manager Terry Francona. “It’s his power. His consistent contact. He doesn’t strike out. He’s a good baserunner. It’s the whole package. He’s really exciting to watch.”

So is the Indians’ Saturday starter Trevor Bauer (6-5, 2.50 ERA), who had a career year last season, and seems intent on eclipsing it this year.

In his last start, a 6-2 win over the White Sox on Monday, Bauer pitched seven scoreless innings on three hits, with eight strikeouts and two walks. That’s the latest in a two-month hot streak for Bauer. In his last seven starts he is 4-2 with a 1.99 ERA, and a .199 opponents’ batting average, while averaging 13 strikeouts per nine innings (72 strikeouts in 49 2/3 innings).

Saturday will be Bauer’s fourth start against the Tigers this year. In his first three he is 3-0 with a 1.17 ERA. However, Bauer’s career numbers against Detroit aren’t nearly as impressive: a 7-5 record and 5.95 ERA in 15 appearances http://www.officiallightningprostore.com/authentic-adidas-mikhail-sergachev-jersey , including 14 starts.

Indians pitchers have tossed an American League-high eight shutouts, including their last two games, 12-0 over the White Sox on Wednesday and 10-0 over the Tigers on Friday.

Although they are missing Miguel Cabrera, who is on the disabled list with a ruptured biceps tendon, the rebuilding Tigers are in second place in the AL Central, six games behind the division-leading Indians.

“It seems like they are playing with more energy,” Francona said. “Sometimes when a guy goes down, a team takes the mentality of ‘us against the world.’ You use whatever you can, and they are doing a good job using that.”

The Tigers on Saturday will start left-hander Francisco Liriano (3-2, 3.90 ERA), who will be activated off the disabled list, and will make his first major league start since May 26. The Tigers lost that game 8-4, to the White Sox.

Liriano, who took the loss that day, pitched five innings, allowing five runs on six hits, with eight strikeouts and three walks. Liriano was placed on the disabled list on May 30, with a right hamstring strain.

Saturday will be Liriano’s third start against Cleveland this year. The first two did not go well. In those two starts Liriano went 0-1 with a 6.10 ERA, having given up seven runs on 10 hits Bart Starr Jersey , three of them home runs, plus six walks in 10 1/3 innings.

In 22 career appearances (17 starts) against Cleveland, the 34-year-old Liriano is 5-7 with a 4.39 ERA.

The Tigers have struggled against the Indians in recent years. Detroit is 3-8 vs. Cleveland this year, and since June 24, 2015, the Tigers’ record against the Indians is 6-21.

The Chicago Cubs will try to extend their season-best winning streak to seven games when they host the Cincinnati Reds on Friday afternoon to open a three-game series at Wrigley Field.

Chicago (49-35) has outscored opponents 56-35 during its six-game winning streak, which has pushed the team 14 games above .500 for the first time this season. The Cubs have scored at least five runs in eight straight games.

Through 84 games, the Cubs’ plus-104 run differential is by far the best in the National League.

“We’re all just trying to pass it along to the next guy,” Cubs outfielder Kyle Schwarber said recently to The Athletic. “We obviously want to have our at-bat and help out the team in some way. Get on base somehow, drive in guys, get the guy over. Whatever it is, we want to do that. And then it’s up to the guy behind us.

“We have full faith in everyone on this team. That’s the bottom line, we want to pass it on to the next guy.”

Cincinnati (38-49) has enjoyed the same type of positive momentum in recent weeks and is playing its best baseball of the season as it arrives to Chicago’s North Side. The Reds have won four of their past five games and 13 of 17 after concluding a three-game series with the Chicago White

During the past 17 games, the Reds have scored at least five runs 14 times.

“It’s our offense, we’re never down,” Reds pitcher Sal Romano said to the Cincinnati Enquirer. “Doesn’t matter how many runs we’re down, they’re able to come back and swing it.”

The rejuvenated Reds have won or tied each of their past five series.

“I think that it’s getting to the point now where teams, when they come to play us or when we come to play them, there’s a little bit of Brett Favre Jersey , ‘Oh, shoot, we’ve got the Reds,'” Reds pitcher Jared Hughes told the Enquirer. “That’s what we want.”

Cincinnati has won six of nine games against Chicago this season, including a four-game sweep in June.

Cubs left-hander Mike Montgomery (3-2, 3.55 ERA) is slated to make his eighth start. The 29-year-old has provided much needed stability in the rotation after highly touted free-agent signing Yu Darvish went to the disabled list.

In 14 career appearances (four starts) against the Reds, Montgomery is 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA. He has walked 11 and struck out 29 in 37 1/3 innings.

Cincinnati will turn to right-hander Tyler Mahle (6-6, 3.83), who is set to make his 18th start of the season and the 22nd start of his career. The 23-year-old is 3-0 with a 2.18 ERA in his past six outings.

This will be Mahle’s third career start against the Cubs. In his first two meetings, both of which took place this year, he went 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA.

Cubs hitters Ben Zobrist, Javier Baez and Schwarber each have gone deep against Mahle this season. Baez has been almost perfect against the pitcher, going 4-for-5 with a triple to go along with the homer.

However, the Cubs are focused on making hard contact rather than blasting long home runs.

“We’re not trying to hit home runs,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said to The Athletic. “We’re moving the baseball. We’re hitting it to all fields.”