Pitching Matchups:

Today 9/20: Gavin Floyd (12-11, 4.42) vs. Fausto Carmona (6-15, 5.26)

Tonight: Dylan Axelrod (0-0, 2.25) vs. Zach McAllister (0-1, 12.27).

Wednesday 9/21: Mark Buehrle (11-9, 3.74) vs. Ubaldo Jimenez (4-2, 4.56).

Thursday 9/22: Philip Humber (9-8, 3.59) vs. Jeanmar Gomez (4-2, 3.78).

Sox Medical Watch:

• C Ramon Castro (broken right hand) went on the 15-day disabled list July 10. He had the cast and pins removed Aug. 9, and he hopes to return to action in late September.

• INF/OF Brent Lillibridge (broken right hand) went on the 15-day disabled list Sept. 9. He'll miss the rest of the season.

• RHP Tony Pena (right elbow tendinitis) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 28. He began a rehab assignment with Class AAA Charlotte on June 16. After making a solid appearance June 24, Pena informed trainers that there was further soreness, prompting him to be shut down. He started a new rehab assignment with Charlotte on July 20, but he suffered yet another setback with his elbow after four pitches. He had season-ending Tommy John surgery in August.

Sox News/Notes:

• C A.J. Pierzynski is signed through the 2012 season, and gets $6 million for next season. Although with C Tyler Flowers showing some ability, especially behind the plate and working with a veteran pitching staff, there is a good chance the White Sox might try to move Pierzynski's contract. Not real easy to do at that price, but it would only take one other general manager in need of a veteran catcher for it to happen.

• 1B/DH Paul Konerko continued to cement himself into the White Sox record books, as his home run on Sunday was the 30th of the season, giving him 30 for the seventh time in his career. It was also the fifth time he has recorded 30 home runs and 100 RBI in a season, second most in franchise history to Frank Thomas, who did it eight times.

• DH Adam Dunn had three hits off left-handed pitchers in the series against Kansas City, which doubled his season total. While the 2011 season has been a complete bust for Dunn, anything he can take from it that will help for 2012 will be embraced by the organization.

• 2B Gordon Beckham entered this week with an AL leading fielding percentage .992 among second basemen, attempting to become the first White Sox second baseman to lead the league in fielding since Nellie Fox in 1963. So while his offense has been dismal this season, Beckham can at least take that with him to the offseason.

• RHP Gavin Floyd was scheduled to start in the early game of todays doubleheader, with RHP Dylan Axelrod getting the nod in the night game. It will be his second start since being called up, and is yet another pitcher trying to make a statement to the organization heading into the offseason. With LHP Mark Buehrle a free agent and Floyd, as well as LHP John Danks probably trade candidates, the White Sox need to know that there are some safety nets to fall back onto, just in case.

By the Numbers:

29-35—The White Sox's record against the AL Central this season, heading into the four-game series against the Tribe this week. That's yet another reason why the White Sox fell short of overtaking Detroit. So sad.

Summary:

The Twins have lost five straight and 10 of their past 11 games and have outscored the Indians, 40-36 this year. Within that span, Tsuyoshi Nishioka is hitting .438 (7-for-16) and Joe Mauer .435 (10-for-23) against the Tribe. Matt Capps is 2-0 with two saves against the Indians.

The Tribe entered has a  2-5 record on this 10-game trip after last nights drubbing by the Rangers. Asdrubal Cabrera is hitting .302 (13-for-43) with three homers and 10 RBI against the Twins this year. Masterson has a 1.54 ERA (four earned runs in 231/3 innings) in three no-decisions against Minnesota this year.

Pitching Matchups:

RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (9-11, 4.61 ERA) vs. RHP Kevin Slowey (0-5, 6.07) tonight at 8:10

RHP Jeanmar Gomez (3-2, 3.95) vs. RHP Anthony Swarzak (3-6, 3.89) Saturday at 1:10 p.m.

RHP Justin Masterson (11-10, 3.20) vs. LHP Scott Diamond (1-4, 3.94) Sunday at 2:10 p.m.

Injuries:

Indians -- RHP Josh Tomlin (right elbow), OF Michael Brantley (right hand) and RHP Carlos Carrasco (right elbow) are on the disabled list. 3B Jack Hannahan (left calf) is day to day. Twins -- RHP Scott Baker (right elbow), RHP Nick Blackburn (right forearm), 2B Alexi Casilla (right hamstring), LHP Brian Duensing (right oblique), LHP Francisco Liriano (left shoulder) and LF Denard Span (migraines) are on the disabled list. 1B Justin Morneau (concussion-like symptoms) and SS Tsuyoshi Nishioka (right oblique) are day to day.

The Indians just got through a tough four game series against Chicago, where they managed to earn a split. Cleveland was outscored 22-19 and remain a half game behind Chicago in the Central Division race for second place. Monday September 12th is the last off-day of the season for the Tribe as they will play 18 games in the next 16 days.

The Rangers are currently 2.5 games above the Angels and have won 4 of their last 5 series in an effort to put the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim away for good. Texas remains the powerhouse they have been known as for the past few decades, scoring 5.2 runs per game in 2011. This is 0.34 more runs per game than last season when they went to the World Series.

Pitching Match-Ups

9/13 8:05 PM

Justin Masterson (11-9, 3.01) vs. Matt Harrison (11-9, 3.50)

The Indians ace will be pitching in one of his last games of the season against the Rangers. Lack of run support has doomed his win/loss record and his chances at any votes in the Cy Young race, but the Indians hitters still have a chance to make it up to him. With about 4 games left this year (depending on how the Indians use their starters in the doubleheaders) Masterson could possibly get a couple more wins and at least avoid going .500 in what has been an absolutely fantastic season so far for him.

9/14 7:00 PM

David Huff (2-4, 3.05) vs. Derek Holland (13-5, 4.12)

This will probably be the Indians last game on national TV this year as they will be Wednesday night game on ESPN. The original scheduled time was bumped up an hour to fit in ESPN's schedule. Huff has lost his last two games, but has pitched pretty well this season with numbers much better than his last two seasons. Holland's last bad game came against the Indians when he was only able to go 1.2 innings after allowing 6 runs to score. The Rangers ended up winning in extra innings, but Derek Holland certainly didn't look very good.

9/14 8:05 PM

Fausto Carmona (6-14, 5.18) vs. Alexi Ogando (12-8, 3.71)

Fausto has struggled for two starts in a row, but has also shown signs of greatness this season. At this point it is basically impossible to know what to expect from Carmona. Ogando on the other hand was an American League All-Star this year, but has fallen off some as of late. Before the break, Ogando had an ERA of 2.92 with a 9-3 record and a complete game. His batting average against was .213. Since then, he has gone 3-5 with a 5.20 ERA with the Rangers losing each of his last 5 starts.

This series is the perfect time for the Indians to take back second place. While the Indians will be in Texas the White Sox are slated to face the Tigers. Detroit has won 9 games in a row, including sweeps of both the Indians and White Sox. The Rangers, on the other hand, are probably looking at the rest of their schedule as easy as they play the Indians, Athletics and 2 series against the Mariners. The Indians could do a great job of spoiler if they can pull off a series win.

The Detroit Tigers dreams have been answered as their only two competitors face off against each other for four games. The Indians and White Sox will be playing each other for second place in the AL Central, and the best team should win as 8 of the last 22 games are against each other. It will be interesting to see if the Indians take advantage of the pressure being off by resting Asdrubal Cabrera and Carlos Santana, or if they fight the inevitable, going all out to win every game until they are officially eliminated. Because he only pitched about an inning in his last start, Fausto Carmona has been moved ahead of Ubaldo Jimenez in the rotation. That makes this series' starters look like this.

September 8th, 8:10 PM

David Huff (2-3, 2.81) vs. Gavin Floyd (12-10, 4.45)

September 9th, 8:10

Jeanmar Gomez (2-2, 4.11) vs. Mark Buehrle (11-7, 3.34)

September 10th, 4:10

Fausto Carmona (6-14, 5.18) vs. Philip Humber (9-8, 3.45)

September 11th, 2:10

Ubaldo Jimenez (2-2, 5.27) vs. Zach Stewart (2-3, 4.56)

Get used to seeing these guys play each other. Along with the 8 games against the White Sox the Indians have 7 against Minnesota and 3 more against Detroit. Hopefully the rest of this season won't be a train wreck as the Indians still have a couple things to play for. The two main goals for the rest of the season should be to maintain a record above .500 and to beat the White Sox out for second place.

It has all come down to this. The Indians are 6.5 games behind Detroit with the Tigers coming to Cleveland for the most crucial series so far in 2011. There are four possible outcomes for the series and only one leaves the Indians with much chance at going to the playoffs this year. If the Indians lose this series, either 2-1 or 3-0, they will be a minimum of 7.5 games back with only 22 games left to play. The Indians do have the benefit of having 3 more games to play than the Tigers, but this can only make up 1.5 games in the standings and the Indians would have to win all three (These three games will take place 9/19 against the Mariners, 9/20 against the White Sox and 9/24 against the Twins). Assuming the Indians win all these after losing the series to Detroit, they would have 6 games to make up with 19 left to play. Assuming Detroit continues at their current pace, they will win 10 of these last 19. This means the Indians would have to win 16 of the last 19 to break even and would still probably have to sweep Detroit in the final 3 game series to have any chance. The Indians need to win this series more than any other series in a very long time.

There are a few good factors going for the Tribe going into the series however, to give off a little ray of hope. Grady Sizemore is scheduled to come off the disabled list tomorrow and should take Jared Head's place in the lineup. While he did hit an RBI double in the season finale against Kansas City, his 2 hits in 23 Major League at bats show that he isn't quite ready for the big time. Grady Sizemore has been one of the best players on the Tribe this season and is currently third among Indians in slugging percentage (of players with more than 2 at bats). The ability for the Indians to move Ezequiel Carrera to left field and possibly out of the leadoff spot makes a gigantic difference in the make up of this team. 

Jason Kipnis also is looking to come off the disabled list this series, if not in the first game. Kipnis was on fire before being sidelined with a couple muscle strains. He had one five hit game and he hit 6 home runs and 4 doubles in his first 18 Major League contests. The majority of the damage he did came against the Red Sox and Tigers, two of the best teams in baseball.

Another positive injury note is that the Tigers just lost outfielder Brennan Boesch for the season. Boesch was an important part of the Tigers lineup, hitting .283 with 16 home runs and playing strong outfield defense. He has been a top of the lineup hitter for Detroit most of the season, hitting 2nd, 3rd and 4th and will now be replaced by Delmon Young (recently aquired from the Twins) in left field.

Game 1

Doug Fister vs. Ubaldo Jimenez

I'm not posting the stats for either pitcher in this match-up, because they are very misleading. Both pitchers started with other teams (Fister was on the Mariners, Jimenez the Rockies) and now find themselves in much more meaningful games with at least a slight improvement in the offense behind them. The Indians have already faced Fister 4 times this year and the results have not been very promising. While the Indians have won 3 of the 4 games, they have only averaged 2.75 runs per game that he has started. To be more exact, Fister has a 2.35 ERA against the Tribe this year, so everything else can be ignored.

Jimemez is another story entirely. Rather than the elite shut down ace the Indians were hoping for when they traded Drew Pomeranz and Alex White to Colorado, he has been rather erratic, looking amazing at times, while just falling apart elsewhere. Unfortunately, so far there has been more bad than good from him, but his last two starts have seen improvements. This includes him getting more movement on his fastball which has lead to more swings and misses, adding up to 16 strike outs in his last 13 innings. Against the Tigers this year Jimenez is 2-1 with a 6.06 ERA. These numbers reflect his outings accurately as his first game as an Indian against Detroit was his best game so far and his last was his worst. It is extremely important that Jimenez pitches well in game 1, in order to save the elite members of the bull pen and to give the Indians a chance at the much needed sweep.

Game 2

Rick Porcello vs. Fausto Carmona

The Indians have faced Porcello 3 times this season with mixed results. He should be the easiest of the three pitchers Detroit is puting out in this series, but you could say the same thing about Carmona from the other side. Porcello has a 9.42 ERA against the Tribe this year, but the youngest member of the Detroit rotation should not be over-looked. 

Fausto has pitched well against Detroit this season, but has been hard to figure out all season. When he pitches well, the hitters have a hard time figuring out how to hit his sinker and when he doesn't no one can figure out why. While he has pitched better since his return from the disabled list not every game has been a gem. This game certainly seems like a must win at this point and may be the calm before the storm. 

Game 3

Justin Verlander vs. Justin Masterson

The battle of the aces. Masterson and Verlander are two of the 8 American League pitchers with an ERA below 3.00 and both have been absolutely dominant in 2011. Verlander has been especially impressive and is the favorite to win the Cy Young this year, with his ERA of 2.34 and a WHIP under 1.00. He was not just the first pitcher to 20 wins, but won his 21st before another starter got his 20th. Currently, Masterson has only 11 wins, but that is mostly due to his lack of run support this year. He won't be able to expect many against Verlander either as he has allowed only 1.69 runs per 9 innings against the Indians this year.

In order to win this series, the Indians can't just play better, they need to be better. This means they need the absolute best players available on the field at all times. This means Grady Sizemore and Jason Kipnis instead of Head and Donald. It means Matt LaPorta instead of Lou Marson and a strong DH in Jim Thome. If a relief pitcher outside of Perez, Perez, Pestano, Sipp and Smith gets into a game, I will assume that Manny Acta has given up on the season. This is not the time for random off days or whining little injuries. This is the time to win the Central Division and if the Indians really want it, they need to take it now.

Summary:

Last Wednesday in New York, former Indian OF Coco Crisp went 4-for-4 with two homers and five RBI. ... May 4 in Oakland, Trevor Cahill moved to 5-0 with a 3-1 victory over the Indians. The Indians are 36-29 at home after winning two of three from Kansas City over the weekend. ... They have 32 comeback victories overall. ...  Jason Donald is hitting .375 (9-for-24) in his last six games. ... Carlos Santana is hitting .292 (26-for-89) with four homers and 15 RBI in his last 22 games.

Pitching Matchups:

Indians LHP David Huff (1-2, 2.70 ERA) vs. RHP Brandon McCarthy (7-6, 3.72), Tonight at 7:05

TBD vs. RHP Trevor Cahill (9-12, 4.13), Tuesday at 7:05 p.m.

RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (2-1, 5.79) vs. RHP Rich Harden (4-2, 4.55), Wednesday at 7:05

RHP Fausto Carmona (6-12, 4.85) vs. LHP Gio Gonzalez (11-11, 3.35), Thursday at 12:05 p.m.

A's Injuries:

• RHP Michael Wuertz (right thumb tendinitis) went on the 15-day disabled list July 30. He played catch Aug. 15, and was scheduled to do so a few more times before throwing off a mound. As of Aug. 28, he was close to starting a rehab assignment.

• RHP Trystan Magnuson (right shoulder tendinitis) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to Aug. 16. He was transferred to the 60-day DL on Aug. 23, ending his season.

• LHP Brett Anderson (sore left elbow) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 6. He underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery July 14, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on July 31. Anderson was expected to be allowed to stop wearing a brace on the arm in late August, and he was increasing range-of-motion exercises.

• LHP Dallas Braden (left shoulder stiffness) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 17. He played catch for the first time since the injury May 2, but it didn't go well. He had season-ending surgery May 17 to repair a torn anterior shoulder capsule, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on June 7.

A's News/Notes:

• LHP Jerry Blevins was designated for assignment between games of Saturday's doubleheader at Boston. Blevins must clear option waivers, a technicality, before returning to Class AAA Sacramento. He worked the sixth and seventh innings of Game 1 Saturday—with a 45-minute rain delay in between them.

• RHP Graham Godfrey was recalled from Class AAA Sacramento on Saturday to start Game 2 of a doubleheader at Boston. Godfrey, who also spent a stint with Oakland in late June and early July, gave up a two-run homer by David Ortiz in the second inning and allowed six hits and three runs in all in his four innings before an hour-long rain delay ended his day.

• 2B Jemile Weeks stole a career-high three bases in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader at Boston. At 24 years, 213 days old, Weeks is the first A's player under the age of 25 to record a three-steal game since Jose Canseco on April 21, 1988 (23 years, 294 days).

• C Anthony Recker recorded his first big-league hit on Saturday in the second game of a doubleheader at Fenway Park. Recker had to sweat out an hour-long rain delay to make sure the game—and his hit—wasn't washed out.

• LHP Josh Outman, recalled Friday, worked four innings in finishing up Game 2 of a doubleheader at Boston on Saturday. He allowed one unearned run and struck out seven. Manager Bob Melvin said that performance was the best he has seen from Outman, who will remain in Oakland's bullpen.

Summary:

The Indians have lost six of their last seven games. The last time Kansas City visited Progressive Field, they took two out of three from the Tribe. They outscored them, 19-8, and out-homered them, 6-2. Indians are hitting .305 (127-for-417) against the Royals this year. Masterson is 2-0 and Carmona 1-1 against them. The Royals entered Thursday night having lost eight of their last 11 games. Melky Cabrera is hitting .347 (17-for-49) with two homers and 12 RBI and Jeff Francoeur .333 (14-for-42) with three homers and seven RBI against the Tribe this year. Chen is 4-0 against the Indians in the last two years.

Pitching Matchups:

RHP Felipe Paulino (2-9, 4.40) vs. RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (7-10, 4.88) Friday at 7:05

LHP Danny Duffy (3-8, 5.48) vs. Fausto Carmona (6-12, 4.76) Saturday at 7:05 p.m.

LHP Bruce Chen (9-5, 4.12) vs. Justin Masterson (10-7, 2.83) Sunday at 1:05 p.m.

Royals Medical Watch:

• LF Alex Gordon (bruised right elbow) appeared as a defensive replacement Aug. 25. He is day-to-day.

• C Matt Treanor (concussion) went on the seven-day disabled list July 31 after being injured in a home-plate collision the night before. He passed a test Aug. 14 to establish whether he was recovered sufficiently to return to game action. Treanor, who was transferred to the 15-day disabled list, began a rehab assignment with Class AA Northwest Arkansas on Aug. 17.

• C Jason Kendall (right shoulder surgery in September 2010) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 22. He was transferred to the 60-day disabled list May 5. By June 8, he was taking batting practice on the field and throwing from up to 105 feet. Kendall reported to Surprise, Ariz., on June 20 to begin working out with the rookie-level Arizona League club, but he had a setback in early July. He underwent another shoulder operation July 13, and he will miss the rest of 2011 and all of the 2012 season.

Royals News/Notes:

• DH Billy Butler went 4-for-5, including two doubles, drove in two runs and scored two runs. In the three-game series at Toronto, Butler went 8-for-15 with five extra-base hits.

• 1B Mike Moustakas extended his hitting streak to a career-high eight games with a run-producing double off the right-field fence. He is 14-for-27 in the streak to hike his average from .182 to .222.

• The Royals took two of three at the Rogers Centre. The last time they won a series at Toronto was Aug. 19-21, 2002, when RHP Shawn Sedlacek and LHP Jeremy Affeldt were the winning pitchers.

• RHP Greg Holland entered in the seventh inning Thursday with Toronto's Mike McCoy on first. Holland retired Yunel Escobar on a fielder's choice grounder and struck out Eric Thames and Jose Bautista, stranding the runner. Holland, a rookie reliever, has permitted just one of 26 inherited runners to score. His 3.8 percent of inherited runners scoring is the best in the majors. Phillies LHP Antonio Bastardo is second at 6.9 percent (2-for-29).

• RHP Louis Coleman has struggled in his past two appearances. He surrendered a Brett Lawrie home run in the eighth inning Wednesday at Toronto to suffer the 4-3 loss to the Blue Jays. In his past two outings, he has yielded four runs on five hits in 1 2/3 innings. In his first 18 innings after the All-Star break, Coleman had given up just two runs.

• LHP Jeff Francis, a native of Vancouver, British Columbia, got the win Thursday in his first career start in Canada. He allowed two runs on six hits in six innings during the Royals' 9-6 win over the Blue Jays.

Summary:

The Mariners come into Cleveland having lost five straight. They're hitting only .180 (23-for-128) against the Tribe. Vargas, who has thrown three shutouts this year, is 0-1 against the Indians. The Tribe is coming off a 2-4 trip against Chicago and Detroit. They are playing the Mariners for the first time since May, have outscored them, 25-12. Shin-Soo Choo is hitting .400 (6-for-15) against his former team. Tomlin and Masterson are each 1-0 against Seattle.

Pitching Matchups:

LHP Jason Vargas (7-11, 4.37) vs. RHP Fausto Carmona (6-12, 4.89) Monday at 7:05

RHP Blake Beavan (3-4, 4.10) vs. RHP Justin Masterson (10-7, 2.71) Tuesday at 1:05 p.m.

Zach McAllister vs. Anthony Vazquez Tuesday, 7:05 p.m.

RHP Felix Hernandez (11-11, 3.38) vs. RHP Josh Tomlin (12-6, 4.03), Wednesday at 12:05 p.m.

Mariners Medical Watch:

• SS Brendan Ryan (sprained left shoulder) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to Aug. 4. He still had a limited range of motion as of Aug. 15. He was activated Aug. 19 but wasn't 100 percent healthy. Wedge said Ryan is likely to return to the starting lineup tonight.

• SS Luis Rodriguez (left elbow contusion) was listed as day-to-day after being hit by a pitch Aug. 21.

• 2B Jack Wilson (bruised left heel) was placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to Aug. 18..

• 1B Justin Smoak (broken nose) went on the 15-day disabled list Aug. 13. He could be back as soon as he is eligible on Aug. 28.

• 3B Chone Figgins (strained right hip flexor) went on the 15-day disabled list Aug. 2. He was expected to start doing baseball-specific work the week of Aug. 15-21, and he could be activated on Wednesday.

• C Chris Gimenez (strained left oblique) went on the 15-day disabled list June 29, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on July 3. He began a rehabilitation assignment with Class AAA Tacoma on Aug. 12.

• C Adam Moore (torn meniscus in right knee) went on the 60-day disabled list retroactive to April 7. He had surgery April 12. He resumed playing catch June 13. He was taking on-field batting practice in early August, and he hopes to play once the roster expands in September. Moore was doing regular rehab work at the minor league facility in Arizona.

• RHP David Aardsma (left hip surgery in January 2011) had a torn labrum repaired, and the damage was more extensive than expected. He went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 22. Aardsma began a rehab assignment with Class AAA Tacoma on April 19, and he made five rehab appearances through April 29. In that last outing, he sprained a ligament in his right elbow. He resumed throwing June 13, the same day he was transferred to the 60-day DL, but he was subsequently shut down again. He underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery July 22.

Mariners News/Notes:

• RHP Jamey Wright came into Sunday with a scoreless streak that has reached 11-1/3 innings. It's the third-longest active streak among AL relievers. But asked to hold a two-run lead, he gave up a double and three walks to the five batters he faced and was charged with four runs and a blown save.

• 3B Kyle Seager got his first start of the season at second base Friday, was forced to play shortstop for the first time as a pro in an emergency situation Saturday, then started at short Sunday.

• 1B Mike Carp extended his current major league-best hitting streak to 20 games with a double Sunday. It's the longest streak for a Seattle rookie since RF Ichiro Suzuki had streaks of 21 and 23 games in his debut season back in 2001.

• SS Brendan Ryan, activated Friday from the disabled list (shoulder sprain), still isn't 100 percent healthy, but Wedge said Ryan is likely to return to the starting lineup tonight.

• SS Luis Rodriguez is listed as day-to-day after being hit by a pitch on his left elbow Saturday. He tried to stay in the game, but had to be lifted with an elbow contusion.

• CF Franklin Gutierrez comes into a four-game series in Cleveland this week averaging .308 (16-for-52) in his last 13 games, raising his average from .194 to .216. In the streak, he has scored six runs and hit four doubles.

• RHP Michael Pineda's strikeout rate is the best for any American League pitcher dating back to 1955. With five strikeouts in six innings Sunday, he has struck out 9.06 batters per nine innings, the most for an AL rookie since Herb Score averaged 9.70. The rookie record is held by Kerry Wood of the Cubs (12.58 in 1998).

• DH Wily Mo Pena hit his first homer in a Seattle uniform, a game-tying two-run shot in the eighth inning Sunday. Combined between Arizona and Seattle, Pena is 13-for-62 (.210) this year and six of the 13 hits have been homers.

Former Tribe skipper Eric Wedge makes his second return to Cleveland.

Summary:

The Tigers have lost six of their past 10 games. They are hitting .263 (88-for-334) against the Indians this year, with Miguel Cabrera at .353 (12-for-34) with two homers and six RBI, and Alex Avila at .310 (9-for-29) with seven RBI doing most of the damage. Porcello and Fister are 0-2 against the Tribe in five combined starts.

The Indians took two out of three from the Tigers last week at Progressive Field. They are hitting .242 (77-for-318) against Detroit, with rookie Jason Kipnis hitting .427 (6-for-14) and Matt LaPorta driving in eight runs. Jimenez is 1-0 against the Tigers since being acquired in a July 31 trade.

Pitching Matchups:

RHP Josh Tomlin (12-5, 3.97 ERA) vs. RHP Max Scherzer (12-7, 4.37) tonight at 7:05,

LHP David Huff (1-1, 0.51) vs. RHP Doug Fister (4-13, 3.59) Saturday at 7:05 p.m.

RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (7-9, 4.48) vs. RHP Rick Porcello (11-8, 4.98) Sunday at 1:05 p.m.

Tigers Medical Watch:

• CF Austin Jackson (mild leg injury) was hurt Aug. 16. He didn't start Aug. 17 as a scheduled day off, but he did enter the game as a pinch-runner.

• OF Brennan Boesch (sore right thumb) left the Aug. 10 game, and he didn't play Aug. 11-13. He appeared as a pinch hitter Aug. 14, then sat out Aug. 15. He was back in the lineup Aug. 16.

• 2B Carlos Guillen (sore left wrist) went on the 15-day disabled list Aug. 13.

• RHP Al Alburquerque (concussion) went on the seven-day disabled list Aug. 12. The Tigers hoped he could return by this weekend.

• LHP Brad Thomas (sore left elbow) went on the 60-day disabled list July 25. He was shut down from throwing until at least mid-August.

• RHP Joel Zumaya (right elbow surgery in July 2010) experienced pain in the elbow during his Feb. 27 spring debut, and he went on the 15-day disabled list March 30. He was transferred to the 60-day DL on April 18. He had exploratory surgery May 10, and he might be out for the season.

Tigers News/Notes:

• RHP Jose Valverde has four losses this season and each has come in the same circumstance. The defeats have come when Valverde entered a tie game in the ninth inning. His ERA in non-save situations is 5.40.

• 3B Brandon Inge doesn't know what to expect when he returns to the Tigers on or before Sept. 1, and neither does his manager, Jim Leyland.

• RHP Justin Verlander is stamping himself as the front-runner for the AL Cy Young award. Verlander has become the first league pitcher to reach 18 victories and 200 strikeouts before the end of August since RHP Pedro Martinez did it for Boston in 1999, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He is the first Detroit pitcher to do so since LHP Mickey Lolich in 1972. He is two victories away from becoming the first Detroit pitcher since RHP Bill Gullickson in 1991 to win 20 games.

• 1B Miguel Cabrera took a 15-game hitting streak into the weekend series with the Tribe. Cabrera had two hits Wednesday. He was hitting .397 (25-for-63) during the streak with 12 RBI.

• RHP Al Alburquerque could return to Detroit's active roster this weekend if he passes tests related to the concussion he suffered last Friday in Baltimore. Alburquerque has been throwing off flat ground. He will return to the mound for bullpen sessions as soon as he's cleared, after which he probably will be activated by the Tigers.

Summary:

The Sox have won eight of their last 10, but are 26-33 at home. They're hitting .274 (65-for-237) as a team against the Tribe with Carlos Quentin leading the way at .462 (12-for-26) with three homers and 12 RBI. Floyd is 2-0 against the Indians, allowing one earned run in 14 2/3 innings. The Tribe is coming off a 4-1 homestand, but have been outscored, 40-24, by Chicago. They're hitting .231 (55-for-231) as a team against Chicago with Travis Hafner at .286 (6-for-21) with one homer and three RBI. Masterson is 1-2 with a 1.23 ERA against Chicago. Carmona is 0-2 with a 20.25 ERA against the White Sox this year.

Pitching Matchups:

RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (7-9, 4.37) vs. RHP Gavin Floyd (10-10, 4.53) Tonight at 8:10

RHP Fausto Carmona (5-12, 5.12) vs. LHP Mark Buehrle (10-5, 3.06) Wednesday at 8:10 p.m

RHP Justin Masterson (9-7, 2.69) vs. RHP Phil Humber (8-8, 3.67) Thursday at 8:10 p.m.

Medical Watch:

• C A.J. Pierzynski (sore left wrist) left the Aug. 12 game, and he didn't play Aug. 13-14. He may return Aug. 16.

• 1B/DH Paul Konerko (sore left knee) was hurt when he was hit by a pitch July 31, and he was limited to designated hitter duty Aug. 1-14. He might be ready to return to first base Aug. 16.

• RHP Gavin Floyd (ankle) left his Aug. 9 start. He is expected to be ready for his Aug. 16 start.

• C Ramon Castro (broken right hand) went on the 15-day disabled list July 10. He had the cast and pins removed Aug. 9, but he will miss the rest of the season.

• RHP Tony Pena (right elbow tendinitis) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 28. He began a rehab assignment with Class AAA Charlotte on June 16. After making a solid appearance June 24, Pena informed trainers that there was further soreness, prompting him to be shut down. He started a new rehab assignment with Charlotte on July 20, but he suffered yet another setback with his elbow after four pitches. He was shut down for the season and will need Tommy John surgery.

White Sox News/Notes:

• RHPs Zach Stewart and Phil Humber are in a holding pattern right now, as the White Sox have to weigh how the first few games against the Indians go before they decide if they will go with a four-man, five-man or their usual six-man rotation over the next couple of weeks.

• 1B Paul Konerko still had no timetable for a return to first base, but when he shows up to the ballpark on Tuesday, he will run through some drills to test his injured left knee. Konerko spent the last week handling only the designated hitter duties, as the knee recovers from being hit by a pitch more than a week ago. It was diagnosed as a bone bruise and did some damage to his nerve. If he can go on Tuesday at first base, that probably will return Adam Dunn to the DH spot.

• RHP Brian Bruney cleared waivers, it was announced Monday, and rather than bring him back on the roster, the White Sox released him. Bruney rejected an outright assignment to Class AAA Charlotte, so that went into the decision. Bruney was 1-0 with a 6.86 ERA in 23 relief appearances this season.

• Manager Ozzie Guillen still wasn't thrilled that the White Sox were still a .500 team, but he said he had to get over that and just keep winning series. The White Sox have won three consecutive series, posting an 8-2 record over their last 10 games.

• RHP Gavin Floyd will start on Tuesday, when the White Sox resume play after their day off, and Floyd might be the perfect guy on the mound to welcome the Indians into town. It will be Floyd's 10th career start against the Indians and third of 2011. He is 6-3 with a 4.25 ERA lifetime against the Tribe, but 3-1 with a 2.53 ERA in five starts at The Cell.