The Tigers and Indians are 1 and 2 in the Central Division and after a 4-3 setback to the Royals, and a 5-3 decision in favor of the Rangers, the Tigers go into Progressive field in Cleveland Ohio with a four game lead on the Indians. This has playoff implications. The Tribe started on fire but have since fallen to 56 and 56, while the Tigers have one of the best pitchers in the game, 16 and 5 Justin Verlander. Verlander is a definite candidate for baseball’s highest honor, the Cy Young Award. The Tigers have a very potent lineup, with Miguel Cabrera, Magglio Ordonez, and Alex Avila, who was an All-Star for the American League. Meanwhile, the Indians have Sykeston, North Dakota native Travis Hafner and Asdrubal Cabrera. The Tigers pitching staff is led by Justin Verlander. The pitching for the Tigers is going to have to be masterful. The Tigers also acquired Victor Martinez to protect the main man, Miguel Cabrera. This is a preview of who might be in the playoffs for the American League Central. Verlander without a doubt is the supreme pitcher in all of baseball. He is the ace of the Tigers staff. Both teams are coming off series where they took two out of three from their opponent. The Indians took two out of three from the Rangers, while the Tigers took two out of three from the Royals. This is what the dog days of summer are all about. This is a must-have series for both teams if they hope to represent the Central in October baseball. Meanwhile, the White Sox are sneaking up from behind on both teams. They pounded the hapless Minnesota Twins 7-0 yesterday at Target Field. The key to this series is going to be pitching and hitting and consistency. The Manager for the Detroit Tigers is Jim Leyland. The Manager for the Cleveland Indians is Manny Acta.
