The American League Champion Cleveland Indians boasted a 14-4 record against AL Central rival Detroit in 2016.

2017 is a definitely a whole new season.

Though the Tribe is off to a steady 14-11 start to the new campaign, they have now lost three of four to Detroit this season, following an 7-1 loss Monday night to kick off a 10-day, 10-game road trip.

While facing a lineup missing both Miguel Cabrera and JD Martinez, Trevor Bauer struggled with his command, his poise, and the ability to throw clutch strikes. Detroit struck early and often with two runs in the first inning, then Bauer uncorked a three-run home run to Tyler Collins in the second inning.  The Tigers never looked back.

On a cool May night in Motown, it’s one game in a long 162-game grind and the Tribe will look to bounce back Tuesday night.  Let’s take a look at some stats and diamond notes from Monday night’s game:

  • Bauer Power Outage:  4.0 IP, 7 R, 7 ER, 7 H, 5 BB, 3 K.  Bauer struggled mightily with his command, but what really hurt him were some close calls on pitches which did not go his way, extended innings, and led to meltdowns.  Bauer lost his poise after a pair of close ‘non-strike’ calls in at bats versus Ian Kinsler and Tyler Collins in the second inning; things unraveled and led to Collins’ game-breaking three-run home run.
  • Happy to See May: Edwin Encarnacion is an established super star who perennially tends to struggle in April to begin the season.  Encarnacion was happy to see the calendar flip to May and began a new chapter Monday night, going 2-4 with an RBI.
  • Southpaw Struggles: The Indians continue their early season struggles against left-handed pitching, as the Tribe is now hitting just .214 versus southpaws, following Monday night’s battle. Daniel Norris would pitch six innings, striking out eight and allowing just one run.  While Norris walked four batters, the Indians’ lineup failed to make him pay for those free passes.
  • Aces on Deck: The Tribe looks to rebound Tuesday night, when each team’s respective aces take the mound, as Corey Kluber (3-1, 4.19) squares off against Justin Verlander (1-2, 4.60).  When these two faced off in April, the teams turned a prospective pitchers duel into a high-scoring affair, as the teams combined for 15 runs.
  • Awaking a Giant:  Facing a Cabrera-less Tigers team is always a bonus, but the Indians good luck will end Tuesday night when Miguel Cabrera is expected to come off the disabled list and reenter the Detroit lineup.

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